Backgammon – How to play

The object of this game is for each player to get his checkers to his home board and then to bear them from the board. The first player who clears his checkers from the board is the winner of the game. A lot to take in here but keep playing and you’ll soon pick it up!

Game Basics

Backgammon involves two players as in played on a board off 24 thin triangles which are known as ‘points. At the beginning of the game each player receives 15 stones, one set of light and one dark. These stones are then places along the 24 points. Points alternate in colour and are divided in four quadrants each worth six points. The quadrants are know as a players home board and outer board. The board is divide in half by the ‘bar’ All points on the board are clearly distinguished by a number. A players outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also his opponents one point. A doubling cube, with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64, is used to keep track of the current stake of the game.

At the beginning of the game a dice is rolled. This not only determines which player will go first but which number will be played. The player who rolls the highest number moves first according to the number on the dice. From here on each player rolls both dice consecutively. The roll of the dice determines how many ‘points’ a p-layer can move his stones. Stones will always move forward to a low numbered point. A stone can only move to an open point (one not being occupied by two or more opposing stones)

The numbers on the two dice indicate two separate moves. For example if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one stone 5 spaces to an open point and another stone 3 spaces to an open point. The player may also move one stone a total of 8 spaces, but only if the intermediate point (either 3 or 5 spaces from the starting point) is open. A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on both dice twice. A roll of two sixes means the player has a total of four sixes to use. A player must use both numbers on a roll if it is legally possible (including all four numbers on a double) If either number can be played and not both the player must take the higher number. If either number can’t be played the player loses his turn. In the case of doubles the player must play as many of the four numbers as possible.

Hitting and Entering

A point which is occupied by any stone is known as a ‘blot’. If an opposing stone lands on the blot, the blot is ‘hit’ and placed on the bar. When a player has one or more stone on the bar, his first obligation is to enter that stone(s) into the other player’s home board.
A stone is entered by moving it to an open point, corresponding with the numbers on the rolled dice. For example if a player has rolled a 3 and 4 they are obliged to enter the stone on the opposing 3rd or 4th point, so long as the point is not housing two or more of the players stones. If neither of the points is open the player loses his turn. If the player can only enter so many stones he must do so and forfeit the rest of his turn. After the players last stone has been entered, any unused numbers on the dice must be played.

Bearing off

Once a player has moved all fifteen of his stones into his home board he can then begin bearing off. A player can bear of a stone by rolling a number that is the same value as the point where the stone is currently residing. If this occurs they then move the stone from the board. If the number rolled matches a point where there is no stone the player must then move using a stone on a higher numbered point. If no stones reside on the higher numbered point then the player is forced to move a stone from the next highest point. A player does not have to bear off his stone is they can make a legal move. All of the player’s active stones must be in his home board before bearing them off. If during the bear off process a stone is ‘hit’ the player is then forced to return the stone back to his home board before continuing to bear off.

The Doubling Cube

During any backgammon a player has the option of proposing to double his takes if he wishes. A player is only permitted to do this at the begging of their turn and before he has rolled the dice. Players can refuse a proposed doubling of the stakes. However this would result in the player conceding the game and paying the original wager. If the player accepts the proposal he must double the wager and play continues. If a player accepts the proposed doubling they in turn become the owner of ‘the cube’ and now has the right to make the next double. If the player chooses to double again it is known as  re-double. If the opposing player refuses the re-double he must then pay the wager that was live before the proposal of the re-double. If he accepts the re-double that player now becomes the owner of the cube and the only person who can propose another double. Re-doubles are permitted to increase up to 64 times the original wager!

Playing with beavers

A beaver is defined by a player proposing a double and then immediately being a proposed a re-double by their opponent. If a player chooses to do this he will retain possession of the doubling cube and is the only who can offer a double.

Jacoby Rule

The Jacoby Rule states that gammons and backgammons count for their respective double and triple points only if there has been at least one use of the doubling cube in the game. This rule is put in place to encourage a player who seems to be winning to double, therefore in most cases to end the game rather than continue until they have gammon or backgammon. The Jacoby rule is usually imposed on money games only.

Crawford Rule
Crawford Rule is put in place to ensure a fairer game to the player in the lead. After all is a player is close to winning his opponent has no reason not to double. Therefore there is no advantage in winning the match instead of being one point shy of winning if an opponent is two points shy.
So in essence the Crawford Rule is there to ensure that when a player becomes one point of winning the match, neither played is permitted to use the doubling cube in the game. The Crawford Rule can be used at the discretion of the players and is usually in effect for match play.
Automatic doubles
If automatic doubles are in place any re-rolls that occur right at the beginning of the game cause an automatic double. Here is an example; if two doubles are rolled and then a roll of 1-4 to start the game, the game is automatically being played at 4 times the normal stake. The doubling cube stays in position and can be used by either player. Automatic doubles are common in money games and are never used in match play.
Gammons and backgammons
At the end of the game if the losing player has borne off at least one stone, he loses by the value seen on the doubling cube. If the loser has not borne off any stones he has been ‘gammoned’ and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Also, if the loser of the game has failed to borne of any stones and still has a stone on the bar or in the winners home board, he is ‘back-gammoned’ and therefore loses three times the value of the doubling cube.