Backgammon Rules

As far as board games go, backgammon rules are relatively straight forward. The number of pieces on the board may make it seem harder to learn backgammon, but once the visual is gotten over it is fairly easy to understand. To better understand backgammon rules keep in mind the object of the game; to move your pieces from their locations around the board , in a direction opposite to your opponent (clockwise vs. counter-clockwise) so that they end up in front of you to be taken off one-at-a-time from the last point on your right. From this description you can concentrate on learning backgammon and the rules that make it harder to accomplish the purpose of the game.

Pieces set-up

To learn backgammon you must start with the twelve triangles in front of you and the 12 triangles on the opposite side of the board to you, these are called “points.” All point to the middle of the board (go figure.) Usually, there are two different colored sets of pieces. You will be one color, your opponent the other. Starting from your right and right in front of you, place two of the same colored pieces on the first triangle-this is point #1. To its left is point #2 and so on up to point #12. Choose the color pieces you would like to represent you. Place two of your opponents’ pieces on point #1, 5 of your pieces on point #5 and 3 of your pieces on point #8. Five of your opponents’ pieces should be placed on point #12. The opposite side of the board should be a mirror image of what you have just done.

Start by rolling one die, the higher number goes first.

Basic backgammon rules

As you learn backgammon the rules will start to make sense. Begin by understanding that each point only belongs to you when there are two or more of your pieces on it. If at any time your opponent, who is rolling and moving in the opposite direction to you, lands on that point with you only having one piece of yours on it, your piece goes onto the center bar and must rejoin the game at the farthest point away from you or number that allows entry (farthest from you on the right quadrant) before you can make any other move. You can only reenter that quadrant if there is an open point or a point that has your piece(s) on it. If there are no points that meet this requirement, you loose your turn until there are points available.

Backgammon rules for finishing the game

After all of your pieces have made it to your home board in front of you can begin taking them off the board from the end point (in front of you to your right.) As you roll you may take a piece off the board if the number in the die matches the point number. If the number rolled does not match a point with a piece on it you may move a piece to a lower number if there are enough points to count that number.  Any point to the left of the last piece in this quadrant that is empty may be removed if a higher number is rolled. Who ever gets all their pieces off the board first, wins.