The Rules And Strategy Of Backgammon.

Backgammon rules

BACKGAMMON How To Play The Game

PLAY

Each turn provides the opportunity to move counters towards the player's home table according to the roll of the 2 dice. Unless a double is thrown, 2 moves are allowed, one for each number on the dice.

When a double is thrown, 4 moves are allowed of the number on the dice. Player's are not allowed to pass on their moves - as many moves as possible must be made each turn.
• A point with 2 or more pieces of the same color on it is safe - the opponent cannot land a piece on such a point..
• A point hosting only one piece is called a "blot". This piece is vulnerable - if the opponent lands on this point the piece is captured and moved to the bar (this means physically placed on the middle bar that divides the board).
• Captured pieces are re-entered on the furthest point from the player's home table. A throw of one allows the piece to move from the bar to point one of the opponent's home table. A throw of five allows the piece to enter at point five of the opponent's home-table.

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If a player has one or more pieces on the bar, no other pieces can be moved until all of these pieces have re-entered play. So if the dice throw and position of enemy pieces prevents a player from re-entering a piece onto the board from the bar, the player cannot move any other piece and play moves on to the opponent.

A point hosting 2 or more of the opponent's pieces is said to be "blocked". If 6 points in a row are blocked, the opponent is said to have formed a "prime". This is a highly advantageous position to be in because a prime cannot be traversed by an opponent but is completely free to be traversed by the player who created it.

BEARING OFF

Once all pieces are present in a player's home table, that player can start "bearing off". A throw of one allows a player to bear off a piece from point one of his home table, a throw of two allows a player to bear off a piece from point two of his inner table and so on. Pieces borne off are simply removed from the board. Player's do not have to bear off - if available, they can choose to move a piece within their inner table instead. This is often done to pair up singles in order to prevent them from capture by your opponent.

When a player rolls a number that is higher than the highest point of the home table upon which that player has pieces, the player is allowed to bear off the next highest piece. For example, with a roll of double five, if the player has a piece on point five, 2 pieces on point three, 1 piece on point two and 1 piece on point one, the player would bear off the 4 highest placed pieces and be left with just one piece on point one.

If after starting to bear off, a player's piece is captured, that piece must re-enter at the other side of the board and bearing off cannot re-start until all pieces are in the home table.

ENDING THE GAME

The first player to bear off all pieces wins the game.
• If the opponent has borne off at least 1 piece, a single game is won and the current stake is forfeited.
• If the opponent has not borne off any pieces, this is a "gammon" and worth double the current stake.
• If the opponent has a piece left on the bar or within the opponent's home table, this is a "backgammon" and worth triple the current stake.

These rules are in 2 parts. Click here to read the first part.

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