Backgammon
Race your 15 checkers home and bear them off first. Hit blots, build points and watch the pip count.
How to play backgammon online
- In the toolbar, set Opponent to vs Computer (you are White) or 2 players (one device). Changing this starts a new match at once.
- Set Match to Single game, Match to 3 points, Match to 5 points or Match to 7 points.
- Set End of turn to Finish automatically (the default) or Press Done, if you want to end each turn yourself.
- Optionally set Doubling cube to Cube on. This adds a Double button under the board.
- Press Roll dice for the opening roll. Each player rolls one die, and the higher die starts.
- Click one of your checkers that has a gold outline. The points it can reach turn gold. Click a gold point to move there. You can also select a checker and then click a die to play that number with it.
- To bear off, click the tray at the right edge once it turns gold.
- With Press Done chosen, press Done when your moves are finished; otherwise the turn ends by itself. Use Undo to take back moves within the current turn, and Hint to see the computer’s suggested first move.
- Open Rules in brief under the board if you need a reminder.
On a keyboard, press Tab to focus the board, then use the arrow keys, Enter or Space to select and play, and the digits 1–6 to play a die. R rolls, D is Done, U undoes, H shows a hint, N starts a new game and F goes fullscreen.
How to play backgammon: simple rules
Each side moves its 15 checkers round the board, White from point 24 to point 1, and the first side to bear off all 15 wins. Each die moves one checker forward that many points, and the same checker may use both dice. A checker that lands on a single enemy checker hits it and sends that checker to the bar.
Backgammon setup and rules for the start
Each side starts with 2 checkers on its 24-point, 5 on the 13-point, 3 on the 8-point and 5 on the 6-point, giving a pip count of 167 each. The opening roll uses one die per player, with White’s die first. The higher die starts and plays both numbers as the first move, and equal dice are rolled again. Each later turn is a roll of two dice, a move, and then the turn passes.
A checker on the bar must enter before anything else can move. It enters on the point matching the die in the opponent’s home board, and it is blocked if the opponent holds that point with two or more checkers. If it cannot enter, the turn passes.
Backgammon doubles rules
Rolling doubles means you play that number four times. For example, with 4-4 from the starting position the computer plays 13/9, 13/9, 6/2, 6/2 (in its own point numbers).
The doubling cube is separate from doubles. When “Cube on” is chosen, a player may offer a double only at the start of their turn, before rolling. The opponent either takes, which doubles the stake and gives them the cube, so only they can double next, or drops, which gives up the stake before the double.
Backgammon bearing off rules
You may bear off only when all 15 of your checkers are in your home board and none is on the bar. A die bears off the checker on the point with that number. A higher die bears off a checker from the highest occupied point only if no checker sits on a higher point. Otherwise it must move a checker inside the board. With checkers on points 2 and 4 and a roll of 6-5, the 6 and 5 may take off only the 4-point checkers, because a checker still sits on a higher point.
A single game is worth 1 point. A gammon is 2 points, when the loser has borne off no checker. A backgammon is 3 points, when the loser has borne off none and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board. With the cube at 4, a gammon is worth 8 points.
Backgammon strategy and tips
A point holding two of your checkers cannot be landed on by the opponent, so making points is safer than leaving single checkers. A single checker is a blot, and a blot within reach of enemy checkers can be hit and lose you pips. Several consecutive points you hold in a row form a block that the opponent cannot jump over with one checker. Points you hold in your own home board make it hard for a hit checker to enter from the bar, while a point you hold in the opponent’s home board (an anchor) gives your back checkers a safe landing spot. If you cannot make a safe move, check the Hint, which shows the first move the computer would play, though it does not explain why.
Frequently asked questions
Is backgammon free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, the game runs in your browser for free. There are no accounts, so you do not need to sign up.
Can I play backgammon on a phone?
Yes. The board scales to fit a 320 px wide screen without sideways scrolling, and the dice and buttons wrap below it. Tap a checker, then tap a gold point to move.
Is my game saved?
Your game in progress, match score, settings and win/loss record are saved in your browser on this device only. Nothing is sent anywhere. Reloading returns you to the same position, and the computer carries on if it was its turn.
What is the meaning of the name backgammon?
The name is usually explained as “back game”, because a checker that is hit must go back and start again.
Can I play against another person?
Yes, choose 2 players (one device) under Opponent. White and Black take turns on the same screen. There is no online multiplayer.
Is there a difficulty setting for the computer?
No. The computer has one strength level. In a test run of 60 games, it won every game against a player choosing random legal moves.
Does the tool have a hint?
Yes. The Hint button outlines the first move the computer would play with your roll, and it writes the move in the status line.
More games
- Chinese Checkers: a race game of moving pieces across a star-shaped board, for a different kind of board race.
- Reversi: a board game of placing pieces to flip your opponent’s pieces, for a quick game of strategy.
- Mancala: a counting game played with seeds in pits, for another two-player game.
- Snakes and Ladders: a dice race game with climbs and slides, for a simpler game of chance.
- Farkle: a dice game where you score by rolling, for a game with dice and scoring.
- Dice Game: five dice, three rolls and thirteen boxes to fill on a score card.