Backgammon: Rules and How to Play
Backgammon is a board game for 2 players that takes about 15 minutes. Roll two dice, race your fifteen checkers home, and the first player to bear them all off wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need a board of 24 points, fifteen checkers each and two dice.
- Place two checkers on your 24 point, five on your 13, three on your 8 and five on your 6. Your opponent mirrors you.
- Your home board is the bottom right, points 1 to 6. Checkers travel from 24 down to 1, anticlockwise.
- Each player rolls one die to start. The higher roll plays first and uses those two numbers as the opening roll. Equal dice are rolled again.
How to play
- Two dice are rolled for you at the start of your turn. There is no roll button.
- Move a checker the number of pips shown on a die, towards your lower numbers. The two dice may be played by one checker in sequence or by two different checkers.
- Doubles let you play that number four times.
- You may not land on a point holding two or more enemy checkers. Empty points, your own points, and points with a single enemy checker are all open to you.
- Landing on a single enemy checker sends it to the bar. That is a hit.
- While you have a checker on the bar, nothing else may move. Enter it on the point matching a die — that is on your opponent's home board — and then play what is left. If neither die lets you enter, your turn is over.
- You must use as many dice as you legally can. If there is a way to play both, you must play both; if only one number can be played, you must play the higher one. With no legal move at all, your turn is skipped.
- While dice are still unused you can Undo back to the start of your turn. Once every die is used, play passes automatically.
Winning and scoring
- When all fifteen of your checkers are home (points 1 to 6), you may start bearing off: a die takes a checker off the matching point.
- If no checker sits on a higher point than the die, you may bear off from your highest occupied point instead.
- Being hit during the bear-off sends that checker to the bar, and you cannot bear off again until all fifteen are home once more.
- The first player to bear off all fifteen wins. If the loser has borne off none, it is a gammon and counts double; if they also have a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, it is a backgammon and counts triple.
- With the doubling cube switched on, you may double at the start of your turn. Your opponent either takes — doubling the stake — or drops, ending the game at the current value.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gammon and backgammon | Count double when your opponent has borne off nothing, and triple when they also have a checker on the bar or in your home board. | On | Yes |
| Doubling cube | Offer to double the stake at the start of your turn. Taking doubles it; dropping ends the game at the current value. From 2 up to 64. | Off | Yes |
Terms
- Point
- One of the triangles on the board. There are 24, numbered 1 to 24 from where you sit, with 1 to 6 forming your home board.
- Blot
- A point holding just one of your checkers. Land on it and it goes back to the bar.
- Bar
- The ridge down the middle of the board. A checker that has been hit waits there and re-enters on the opponent's home board.
- Bear off
- Taking checkers off the board once all fifteen of yours are home.
- Pip count
- The total distance your checkers still have to travel. The lower it is, the further ahead you are in the race.
- Gammon
- Winning before your opponent has borne off a single checker: it counts double. If they also have a checker on the bar or in your home board it is a backgammon and counts triple.
FAQ
Which way do the checkers travel?
From your high numbers down to your low ones, towards the home board at your bottom right. Your opponent travels the other way.
What if only one die can be played?
You must play the higher one. And if there is any way to play both dice, you have to play both.
What happens on doubles?
You play that number four times — with one checker or with several, using as many of the four as you legally can.
What if I have a checker on the bar?
It must come in first. You cannot enter on a point holding two or more enemy checkers, and if neither die gives you an entry point your turn is skipped.
What if I am hit while bearing off?
That checker goes to the bar. You cannot bear off again until all fifteen are back in your home board.
Can I bear off with a die that is too big?
Yes, provided no checker of yours sits on a higher point: then the die takes your furthest checker. If one does sit higher, you have to move that one first.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.