Backgammon Rules: How to Set Up, Play & Win This Classic Game

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world — historians trace its origins back over 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. Yet despite its age, the game is having something of a modern renaissance. Whether you found an old set gathering dust in a cupboard or you’re simply curious what all the fuss is about, learning backgammon is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a board game enthusiast.

The good news: the basic rules are straightforward. The strategic depth, however, is enormous — which is why backgammon has retained devoted players across millennia.

Quick Answer: Backgammon is a two-player game where each player moves 15 checkers around a board based on dice rolls. The goal is to move all your checkers into your home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins. The game combines luck (dice) with significant strategic decision-making.

Understanding the Backgammon Board

Before you can play, you need to understand the anatomy of the board. At first glance it looks complex, but it follows a logical structure.

The Board Layout

A backgammon board consists of 24 narrow triangles called points, alternating in two colors. The board is divided into four quadrants of six points each:

• Your home board (inner board): Points 1–6, on your right side
• Your outer board: Points 7–12, on your right side
• Opponent’s home board: Points 19–24 (from your perspective)
• Opponent’s outer board: Points 13–18 (from your perspective)

The board is divided down the middle by a raised section called the bar. This plays a crucial role in the game — hit checkers go here and must re-enter before you can make any other moves.

The Doubling Cube

Most backgammon sets include a large die with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces. This is the doubling cube, and it’s used to raise the stakes of the game. When you feel you have a strong position, you can offer to double the current stakes. Your opponent must either accept (and play for double the points) or resign and concede the current stake. The doubling cube is optional for beginners but essential for serious play.

Setting Up the Backgammon Board

Getting the starting position right is one of the trickier parts for newcomers. Here’s the standard setup from your perspective:

• 2 checkers on your 24-point (your opponent’s 1-point)
• 5 checkers on your 13-point (your opponent’s 12-point)
• 3 checkers on your 8-point
• 5 checkers on your 6-point

Your opponent sets up the mirror image of this. Each player uses a different color checker — traditionally white and black, or red and white. The setup according to the US Backgammon Federation is the same worldwide, making it the universal standard.

In my experience helping people learn backgammon, the setup trips up even those who think they remember it. Keep a reference card nearby for your first few games.

How to Move Your Checkers

The basic concept of movement is simple: you’re racing to get all your checkers around the board and off.

Direction of Movement

Both players move their checkers in opposite directions. If you’re White, you move counterclockwise: from your 24-point toward your 1-point. Black moves clockwise. Think of it as two runners going around the same oval track in opposite directions.

Using the Dice

Each player rolls two dice at the start of their turn. The numbers rolled indicate how many points (spaces) you can move your checkers. Here are the key rules:

• You must use both dice values if legally possible
• Each die value is used separately — if you roll a 3 and a 5, you can move one checker 3 spaces and another 5 spaces, or move one checker a total of 8 spaces (3+5)
• If you roll doubles (the same number on both dice), you get to play that number four times instead of twice
• If you can only use one die, you must use the higher one
• If you cannot use either die, you forfeit your turn

Where You Can and Cannot Move

You can move a checker to any point that is:

• Open (empty)
• Occupied by your own checkers (you can stack as many as you like)
• Occupied by only one opponent checker — this is called a blot, and landing on it hits it

You cannot move to a point occupied by two or more opponent checkers. That point is “made” or “closed” to you.

Hitting and Re-entering: The Key Dynamic

This is where backgammon gets exciting and strategic.

Hitting a Blot

A blot is a single checker sitting alone on a point. When you land on a blot, the opponent’s checker is hit and placed on the bar. That checker is now out of play until it re-enters the board.

Entering from the Bar

When you have a checker on the bar, it must re-enter before you can make any other move. Checkers on the bar re-enter on the opponent’s home board (points 1–6 from your perspective, but the opponent’s inner board points).

To re-enter, you roll the dice and enter on the point corresponding to the dice numbers — but only if that point is open (not made by your opponent). If both dice show numbers that are occupied by two or more opponent checkers, you cannot enter and lose your turn.

This is one of the most powerful strategic tools in backgammon: making points in your home board creates a “prime” that prevents the opponent’s checkers from re-entering.

Bearing Off: How to Win

Once all 15 of your checkers have moved into your home board (points 1–6), you can start bearing off — removing checkers from the board. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.

How Bearing Off Works

You bear off by rolling the dice and removing checkers from the corresponding points:

• Roll a 4: remove a checker from your 4-point
• Roll a 6: remove a checker from your 6-point
• If the exact point is empty, you must move a checker from a higher-numbered point, or if no higher point has checkers, remove from the highest occupied lower point

You cannot bear off if any of your checkers are on the bar or haven’t yet entered your home board. If a checker gets hit during the bearing-off phase, you must bring it all the way back around before continuing to bear off.

Scoring in Backgammon

Backgammon is typically played as a series of games, with points accumulated over multiple rounds.

When the doubling cube is in play, all these values are multiplied by the current cube value. A backgammon at 4× cube = 12 points in a single game.

Key Backgammon Strategies for Beginners

Backgammon has been analyzed extensively by computers, and optimal play is well-documented. Here are the most important concepts for new players:

Make Points (Build a Prime)

When you occupy a point with two or more of your own checkers, you’ve “made” that point. A sequence of consecutive made points is called a prime. A 6-prime (six consecutive made points) is the most powerful structure in the game — your opponent’s checkers literally cannot pass it.

Don’t Leave Blots Unnecessarily

Single checkers are vulnerable to being hit. In the opening and mid-game, try to build stacks or make points rather than leaving lone checkers exposed. That said, sometimes you must take calculated risks — which is part of the beauty of the game.

Keep Your Runners Moving

Your two checkers on your opponent’s 24-point (called “runners”) are furthest from home and often the last to get around the board. Getting them moving early is generally good, especially if you can escape to safe ground on the outer board.

Think About Pip Count

The “pip count” is the total number of spaces each player needs to move all their checkers to bear off. A lower pip count means you’re ahead in the race. When you’re well ahead in pip count, try to avoid contact with your opponent and run home. When you’re behind, create contact and try to hit their checkers to slow them down.

Use the Doubling Cube Wisely

Offer the cube when you have a significant advantage — not just a small one. Accept a cube offer when your chances of winning are above roughly 25% (in money games). Knowing when to double and when to take or pass is a deep skill that separates good players from great ones.

Common Backgammon Mistakes Beginners Make

1. Running too early: Moving your back checkers home at the first opportunity leaves the rest of your position undeveloped. Often it’s better to build your board first.
2. Ignoring your home board: Failing to make points in your inner board means hitting your opponent’s checkers won’t matter much — they’ll re-enter easily.
3. Forgetting checkers on the bar: This sounds obvious, but in the excitement of building your position, new players sometimes forget they have a checker waiting to re-enter. All your moves are forfeited until it enters.
4. Not using both dice: You must use both dice values if legally possible. New players sometimes only move one checker when they could use both.
5. Bearing off with the wrong checker: During bear-off, always bear off from your highest points first if possible — don’t move checkers unnecessarily when you could be removing them.

Backgammon Etiquette and Tournament Rules

If you ever play in a club or tournament, a few rules differ from casual games:

• Both dice must land flat and completely within the right-hand side of the board (from the roller’s perspective). Otherwise, roll again.
• You must pick up both dice simultaneously after rolling, not one at a time.
• If you touch a checker, you must move it if legally possible (“touch-move” rule in formal play).
• Use a dice cup to shake dice — this eliminates any potential dice manipulation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Backgammon Rules

Can you have more than one checker on the bar?

Yes, you can have multiple checkers on the bar. All of them must re-enter before you can move any other checker on the board. This makes it possible for your opponent to effectively shut you out entirely if they control all 6 points in their home board — a situation called a “closed board.”

What happens if you can only use one die?

If you can only legally move one die’s value, you must use the higher value if possible. If neither die can be played, you forfeit your turn.

Can the same checker be hit multiple times?

Yes. A checker can be hit, re-enter, get hit again — this can happen multiple times in a game. It’s frustrating but perfectly legal.

Is backgammon mostly luck or skill?

Both matter significantly. In a single game, luck (dice) plays a huge role. But over many games, skill dominates. The best players in the world win consistently against beginners precisely because superior strategy overcomes lucky rolls over time. Backgammon’s mix of chance and skill is a big part of its enduring appeal.

How long does a typical backgammon game take?

A casual game typically takes 10–30 minutes depending on experience level and luck. Match play (playing to a set number of points using the doubling cube) can take longer — a 7-point match might last an hour or more between experienced players.

Where to Learn More and Play Online

Backgammon is widely available online. Backgammon Galaxy and Backgammon NJ are popular platforms for playing against humans and bots. The bot play is particularly valuable for beginners — playing against a computer set to beginner level gives you immediate feedback without the pressure of a live opponent.

The US Backgammon Federation also has excellent learning resources, including video lessons and tournament schedules if you want to test your skills competitively.

If you love classic games and want to explore more options, check out our guide to the different types of board games. From abstract strategy games like chess to modern classics, there’s something for every taste. And for those interested in our chess coverage, we have a full guide on chess rules for beginners as well.

Conclusion

Backgammon has survived 5,000 years for good reason. It’s fast-paced, genuinely exciting, and rewards both tactical thinking and cool decision-making under pressure. Unlike many games, you can learn the rules in under an hour and start having genuinely fun, competitive games immediately.

Start with casual games against a friend, focus on building solid home boards, keeping your checkers safe, and racing home when you’re ahead. As you play more, the deeper strategic layers — primes, timing, cube decisions — will naturally reveal themselves.

Set up the board, roll the dice, and enjoy one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring games.