The player to move all their pieces around the backgammon board and bear them off first is the winner. The aim of backgammon is to get all your pieces off the board.
Basic Game Play
Each player has their own set of two dice to use. Players throw the dice, and then move their pieces according to the numbers that are shown on the dice. Backgammon players move their pieces around the board until they reach their home quadrant. Once they have all their pieces in their home quadrant, they can begin to take pieces off the backgammon board, or bear them off, according to the numbers that appear on the dice they have thrown.
How to Start the Game According to Backgammon Rules
Each players throws one die in the game of Backgammon. The player that has thrown the higher number is the player that will make the first move. If both players have thrown the same number, they both keep rolling the dice until they have two different numbers. Usually, the player that has the higher number uses the numbers shown on both dice for their first turn. In subsequent turns throughout the game, the players each throw two of their own dice for their own turns. In Backgammoon, players take turns to throw the dice and make their moves.
Basic Backgammon Moves
Players only move forward on the board, and not backwards. Each die shows a different number, which means that each number can be moved by a different piece. Players may choose to move both numbers with the same piece.
According to the backgammon rules, players may move their pieces either to a free space or one that has their own pieces on it. An exception to this rule, which adds excitement to the game is that if a player has a single piece on any space, the other player, if they have rolled the corresponding number on their dice, may knock the other player off if they land on that space.
If the opponent has two or more pieces on a space, then they cannot be knocked off, and the player may not move to that space. These basic moves are vital to learn if you are going to play backgammon online.
Rolling Doubles in Backgammon
When both die show the same number, this is called a double. Players get to move the value of each die twice. That means if two number fours show up, the player can move a total of 16 spaces, in four jumps of four. As with other backgammon moves, the player may also choose to move one piece all 16 spaces if they wish to do so, or two pieces eight spaces each, and so on, as long as the move is made in multiples of four.
Knocking Off the Opponents Pieces, or Hitting Blots
When there is a single piece on any space on the board, it is called a blot. If another player lands on that space, they will knock of their opponent’s piece, and it will be placed on the bar. The opponent then needs to go back to the beginning, and throw the dice to make their way onto an open space in their opponent’s home quadrant. All the backgammon rules for moving are observed here as well.
Bearing Off
When a backgammon player manages to get all their own pieces into their home quadrant, they can begin to take pieces off the board, or bear them off. The first player to have taken all their pieces off the board in this way is the winner.
