Learn Backgammon the easy way

There are a few hard and fast backgammon rules to follow when playing the game. Past these few rules, having fun even if you are losing is the main aim of the game. As you learn backgammon, you will quickly find out that at some point you are going to be in the losing position unless the game turns around and bites your opponent, which is very possible. The point being, you know you’re losing and so does your opponent, so enjoy it because your only hope is that he is about to feel worse then you if the game does turn around and bite him.

The board set-up

The board has 24 triangles called ‘points’ laid out in sixes within four quadrants. The center bar is generally the place where you don’t want to be (most of the time) because it means you have been sent back to the beginning. The beginning is the quadrant on the opposite side of the board on your left. The finish is on the point in the quadrant in front of you on your left. You have 15 pieces of yours and your opponent has fifteen of theirs that will be placed on the board in exactly opposite locations and numbers. Your fist five pieces go on the six point in front of you. Count over, starting with one from the finishing point. It should be the point to the left of the bar. Now count two more points and place three pieces. Count six more points and place five pieces. Now go all the way across the board and place two pieces across the board and on the farthest point to the left. Your opponent does the same from their side of the board.

As you learn backgammon don’t become frustrated. Backgammon rules are fairly simple once you get the first few down, so relax. The backgammon rules to remember the most are that you generally want two of your pieces on the same point at the same time. If you only have one, your opponent can land on you and send you back to the beginning. If you have two pieces on the same point, that point is safe and your opponent cannot use it. If the combination of each of the die or each die individually all lead to your opponent landing on a point that you have two pieces on they cannot move.  The object of the game is to get all your pieces on the board from the far left point (or wherever they may be on the board) around the board from far left to right and back to close left in front of you , point by point, and off the board.

Accept the inevitable

When you learn backgammon, the fun/bad part comes when you realize that at some point all the points are covered with two of your opponent’s pieces and you cannot move. This means that your opponent has a balanced board and you are not happy. What is worse, you may have been sent back to start again while all of the points that could be made by the roll of the die are covered with two of his pieces. You are now basically up you know what without you know what. But, remember he still has to roll and take pieces off. This, eventually, will leave one piece exposed (maybe) but if you can place your piece you must. Here is where you really learn backgammon strategy, the hard way.