ABOUT BACKGAMMON
All About Backgammon
Backgammon is a board game played by two players.
The players move their checkers in opposite directions, where the object of backgammon is to move
all your checkers around the board and get them back to your home board. Of course, you must
accomplish this before your opponent does. If lady luck is with you, you will roll double fours,
meaning each die rolls a four. Then you can move your checkers four times instead of just the
regular two times. If you leave one of your checkers defenseless, just one uncovered, your
adversary can make your checker go back and stay on the bar.
Backgammon Terminology
Backgammon - when all of your checkers are in your inner board, but your adversary has none in their
home board, plus they also have one of checker stuck on the bar.
Gammon - when all of your checkers are in your inner board, and until now your adversary has none in
their checkers in the inner board.
Double - the doubling cube is used to make the game's value higher.
Bar - the middle of the board where the checker is placed when it is hit, the next roll is used to
free the checker and continue playing the backgammon game.
Legal Moves in Backgammon
The checkers are moved forward around the board based on the roll on the dice (called pip in
backgammon).
You can move your checker to a vacant spot on the board.
You can move to another spot where more of your checkers are located.
You can hit and knock out one of your opponent's checkers if it is exposed, sending their checker
back to the bar. This is the crux of the backgammon game strategy, because if you can move their
pieces back, you can advance yours and win.
Backgammon Rules
The numbers on the dice are considered two moves. One checker is allowed to go the full throw, or it
can be divided between two separate checkers. Let's say, you throw a 5 and 2, that means you can
move one of your checkers seven spaces, or move one checker five spaces and another checker two
spaces.
It is legal to move a checker to any point in use by one of your own checkers, or to a space with
either zero or one of your adversary's checkers on it. This means, if your adversary has two or
more checkers on a point, you can not move one of your checkers to it.
When a player rolls doubles, the identical number comes up on both dice, they then move double
the amount thrown. This is usually advantageous and is crucial because games are frequently won
by the player who rolls more doubles. If a double three is rolled, the player can move three
points four times. And they can do it using a variety of combinations. For example:
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One checker for a total of 12 spaces
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Two checkers a total of six spaces each
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Two checkers for a total of three spaces each and an additional checker six spaces
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One checker a total of nine spaces and another three spaces
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Any four checkers the player decides to move for three spaces each
If possible, the complete amount rolled must be used, this includes rolling doubles. In the case
when it is possible to play only one number, the higher number rolled is the one that must be used.
When doubles are thrown, as many as possible must be played.
Keeping Score
When at least two checkers are on the same point, the point is then called an owned or made point.
The opposing player is not allowed to land on a made or owned point. However they may skip over it
and advance. The number of checkers a player may have on any given point is unlimited.
A prime is several rows in a point, and is terrific strategy, especially if there are six points
made in a row. Six points in a row is called a ‘full prime'. Any checkers behind a full prime are
trapped and cannot move as long as the full prime exists.
Download Gammon-Palace's online backgammon game and start playing online backgammon today. It's
free, and it's fun.
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