Backgammon
OBJECTIVE
The object of the game is for each player to bring all his checkers into his home board,
and then to bear them off the board. The first player to clear all his checkers off the board is the winner.
HOW TO PLAY
To start the game, each player throws a single die. Left die is the Red player and Right die
is the White player. The player throwing the higher number will make the move first.
After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns.
The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his
checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point. The Red player
moves clockwise and White player moves counterclockwise. The following rules apply:
|
1. A checker may be moved only to an open point that is not being occupied
by two or more opposing checkers. 2. The numbers on the two dice are moved separately. For example, if a player rolls 3 and 4, he may move one checker 3 spaces to an open point and another checker 4 spaces to an open point, or he may move the one checker a total of seven spaces to an open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or four spaces from the starting point) is also open. 3. A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A roll of 5 and 5 means that the player has four fives to use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels appropriate to complete his turn. 4. A player must use both numbers of a roll (or all four numbers of a double) if this is legally possible. If only one number can be played, the player must play that number. If either number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger number. When neither number can be played, the player loses his turn. In doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must play as many numbers as he can. |
HITTING AND ENTERING
A point occupied by a single checker of either color is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar. Anytime a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first obligation is to enter that checker(s) into the opposing home board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice. For example, if a player rolls 3 and 4, he may enter a checker onto either the opponents' three point or four point, so long as the prospective point is not occupied by two or more of his opponents' checkers. If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn. If a player is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter as many as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his turn. After the last of a players' checkers has been entered, any unused numbers on the dice must be played.
BEARING OFF
Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board, he can begin bearing off. A player bears off a checker, by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on the higher-numbered points, the player can remove a checker from the next highest point. A player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an otherwise legal move. A player must have all of his active checkers in his home board in order to bear off. If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the player must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing to bear off.
ToTheGames.com Backgammon is playable now!
Back To Top