A beginner's guide
Backgammon Rules: How to Play
Backgammon is a game for two players, each with 15 checkers, racing to bring every checker home and bear them off first. This guide walks through the full rules — board setup, how the dice work, hitting, bearing off, and the doubling cube — with an interactive board in every section so you can try each idea as you read.
Turn the page with the arrows, the edge of the page, your ← → keys, or a swipe.
Chapter 1
The board and starting position
Backgammon is played on a board of 24 points split into four quadrants. Each player starts with 15 checkers in this exact position. Your goal: move all of yours into your home board, then bear them off.
Chapter 2
Direction of movement
White and Black move in opposite directions around the board. Each player's checkers travel toward their own home board. Roll the dice to see which checkers can legally move from the starting position.
Chapter 3
How to move checkers
On your turn you roll two dice. Each die lets you move one checker that many points in your direction. You can move two different checkers, or move one checker with both dice in sequence. Play 3 turns below to practice — roll, pick a checker, then pick a highlighted destination.
Chapter 4
Hitting and the bar
A single opposing checker on a point is a blot. Land on it and the opponent's checker is sent to the bar. Their first job next turn is to re-enter the board through your home board.
Chapter 5
Bearing off
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can start removing them — this is bearing off. A die of value n bears off a checker from your n-point. If that point is empty, the die can bear off from a lower-numbered point (overshoot). The first to bear off all 15 wins.
Click a white checker in your home board, then click it again to send it off.
Chapter 6
The doubling cube
The doubling cube lets you raise the stakes of a game. When you think you're winning, offer a double — the cube value doubles (1→2→4→…→64). Your opponent must accept (and own the cube going forward) or drop (and lose at the current stake).
Rough rule of thumb: a strong player accepts a double if they have ≥ 25% chance to win. Below that, dropping loses less in the long run.
Chapter 7
Winning: single, gammon, backgammon
When you bear off your last checker, the final score depends on how far behind your opponent is. Multiply by the doubling cube value to get the points awarded.
Single
×1 pointsOpponent has borne off at least one checker. You win the cube value × 1.
Gammon
×2 pointsOpponent has borne off none, but has no checkers in your home board or on the bar. You win × 2.
Backgammon
×3 pointsOpponent still has checkers in your home board or on the bar — and zero borne off. You win × 3.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you win at backgammon?
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You win by being the first to move all 15 of your checkers into your home board and then bear them all off. If your opponent hasn't borne off any checkers when you finish, you win a double (a gammon); if they also still have a checker in your home board or on the bar, you win a triple (a backgammon).
How do you set up a backgammon board?
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Each player starts with 15 checkers: two on the 24-point, five on the 13-point, three on the 8-point, and five on the 6-point, counted from that player's own perspective. The two setups mirror each other across the board.
What does the doubling cube do?
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The doubling cube tracks the stake of the game. Before rolling, a player may offer to double it. The opponent either accepts — taking control of the cube so only they can double next — or declines and concedes the game at the current stake.
Is backgammon a game of luck or skill?
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Both. The dice add short-term luck, but over many games skill dominates — stronger players consistently make better use of their rolls and their cube decisions, which is why backgammon has a serious competitive tournament scene.
What happens when you get hit in backgammon?
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If one of your checkers sits alone on a point (a blot) and your opponent lands on it, the checker is hit and placed on the bar. You must re-enter it in your opponent's home board before you can make any other move that turn.
When can you bear off in backgammon?
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You can bear off only once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board and none are on the bar. You then remove checkers according to your dice; if you roll higher than any occupied point, you bear off from the highest point that still has a checker.
The end
You're ready — play your first game
You now know the setup, direction of travel, how to move and hit, how to bear off, and what the doubling cube does. The fastest way to lock it in is to play.