INSTRUCTIONS FOR BACKGAMMON
Setting Up the Backgammon Board

A backgammon board has 24 triangles in alternating colors called points. The board is divided into 4 quadrants and each quadrant has 6 points. You and your opponent each have a home (inner) board and an outer board which are separated by a raised section called the bar. The bar is where checkers are placed after they are hit. After a checker is hit it is placed on the bar and it can only re-enter in the opponent’s inner board on a subsequent roll. The way the checkers are initially set up for play is known as the starting position. Two checkers are on each players 24pt., five on each players 13pt., three on each 8pt., and five on each players 6pt.. The direction of play is from your opponents home board to their outer board, to your outer board to your home board.
Object of the Game
Each player must move their men according to the numbers shown on each throw of their dice. Checkers are moved around the board by the players into their home boards. Once all of the checkers are in the home board, players can begin the bear off. The player who bears off all of their checkers first, wins the game.
Starting the Game
At the beginning of the game, both payers throw a single die. The player throwing the higher number moves first using both their number and the number of the opponent to move the checkers. If the same number comes up on both dice, the players re-roll until they are different. After the first move, players’s alternate turns by rolling their own dice.

Making a Move

Checker Movement
The checkers must always be moved forward around the board according to the numbers shown on the dice (also known as pips). Here are the rules governing the movement of checkers.
The numbers on the dice are two separate moves. One checker can be moved the full amount or each of the two numbers can be moved with separate men. For example, a throw that shows 6 and 3 would mean that you can move one checker 9 spaces, or move one checker 6 spaces and another checker 3 spaces.
You may move a checker to any point occupied by your own checkers or to a point with 1 or none of your opponent’s checkers on it. A checker may not be moved to a point with two or more of your opponents checkers on it.
If a player rolls doubles (where the same number comes up on both dice), they may move double the amount shown. This is usually an advantage and the player who rolls more doubles often wins games. For example: If a double 2 is rolled, the player may move two points four times, in any possible combination.
Any one checker a total of eight spaces
Any two checkers a total of four spaces
Any two checkers a total of two spaces each and another a total of four spaces
Any one checker a total of six spaces and another two spaces
Any four checkers two spaces each
The full roll must be used if possible including doubles. If only one number can be played it must be the higher number of the two if possible. If doubles are thrown, you must play as many of the 4 as possible.

Points

If two or more checkers are on the same point it is said to be a made point or an owned point. The opposing player may not land on that point but they may jump over it and move beyond. There is no limit to the number of checkers a player may have on a point. Several points in a row are called a prime. Creating a prime can be a powerful strategy and if there are six points made in a row it is called a full prime and any checkers behind this prime are effectively trapped until the prime is broken.

Hitting Blot s

A single checker on a point is called a blot. Since men of opposite colors may not occupy the same point, when an opponent lands on a blot it is removed and replaced with their own. This is called a hit and the removed man is placed on the bar.

The Bar

The bar is the middle strip that separates the inner and outer boards and once a checker is placed there, it remains out of play until it can be entered in the opponents inner board by a throw of the dice.

Entering from the Bar

A checker can be entered from the bar if on the next roll one of the numbers corresponds to a point not occupied by two or more opponent checkers in the opponent’s home board. If you cannot enter because both points indicated by the dice are blocked, the turn passes to your opponent. If your opponent owns all 6 points in their board you can save your energy and not even roll since it is impossible to enter until your opponent opens up a point in their board. This is called a shut out or closed board. If a player has one or more checkers on the bar they must all be re-entered before any other checkers can be moved. Once all of the checkers have been entered, any unused numbers on the dice may be used to move the checker that was entered or any other checker.

The Bear Off

The Bear Off is the final stage of the game when you remove your checkers from your home board but you cannot start this process until all 15 of your checkers have made it there. After all your men are in the home board you may bear them off according to the numbers on the dice you throw. For example, if you roll a 3-2 you may take one checker off the 3pt. and another off the 2pt. assuming you have checkers there or you could move your checkers within your home board according to the numbers on the dice. You must use your entire roll so if you roll a 5 and have no checkers on the 6pt or 5pt, you must take a checker off of the next highest point with checkers on it. If you roll a 5 and have no checkers on the 5pt but you do have a checker on the 6pt, you must move the checker
on your 6pt five spaces to the 1pt. You do not have to bear a checker off if you have another legal move, which can be useful, when your opponent is on the bar or still owns a point in your board. If your opponent hits a blot while you are bearing off, you must enter that checker and bring it all the way around back to your home board before you can continue to bear off checkers. Again, the first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game.

Doubling

The idea of doubling in backgammon was first entered into practice in the 1920's and has forever changed the game. Before the game starts, the doubling cube is placed at the side or on the bar with the number 64 on top, which indicates that the game is being played for one point or unit. If one player feels they have the advantage during the course of the game they may choose to double the stakes of the game by turning the cube so that the 2 is facing up. A player may double only on their turn and before they roll the dice. The opponent may then choose to pass (drop or decline) the double if they feel they are a big underdog to win the game and forfeit the stakes of the game. They may also choose to take (accept) the double if they feel they still have a good chance of winning and play on for double the stakes. Either player may make the first double but after a double is accepted, the player who took it is said to "own the cube" and is the only one allowed to re-double the stakes. There is no limit to the number of times the stakes can be redoubled but in practice it rarely gets beyond the 4 level.

Crawford Rule

This is a rule that is standard in match play that states that the trailing player may not double for one whole game once the leader is one point away from winning the match. Since the trailer has nothing to lose by doubling every game (it doesn't matter if they lose by one or two points) it gives the leader one undoubled game to try and finish the match.

Scoring Backgammon

Single Game

A game is won when either player bears off all of their men first. If the losing player has borne off at least one checker, the player wins the number of points or units at stake determined by the cube (or just 1 point if the cube was not used).

Gammon (Double Game)

A gammon occurs if the losing player has not borne off any of their checkers. In this case the player wins twice the amount indicated by the cube.

Backgammon (Triple Game)

Backgammon occurs when the winner bears off all of their checkers before their opponent is able to bear off any AND still has checkers in their opponent’s home board or on the bar. In this case the winner gets three times the amount of points indicated by the cube.

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