How To Set Up A Backgammon Board To Play

Setup

Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a lath consisting of twenty-4 narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's home board and outer board, and the opponent'south dwelling board and outer board. The dwelling house and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge downwardly the centre of the board chosen the bar.

Figure 1. A board with the checkers in their initial position.
An alternate organisation is the contrary of the one shown here, with the habitation board on the left and the outer lath on the right.

The points are numbered for either player starting in that histrion'southward abode lath. The outermost point is the xx-four signal, which is also the opponent'due south one point. Each player has 15 checkers of his own color. The initial arrangement of checkers is: 2 on each histrion's twenty-four point, v on each histrion's thirteen point, three on each histrion'due south 8 indicate, and five on each player'southward half dozen point.

Both players take their own pair of dice and a die cup used for shaking. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, four, viii, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the electric current pale of the game.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is movement all your checkers into your own domicile board and then bear them off. The first role player to carry off all of their checkers wins the game.

Figure 2. Direction of movement of White's checkers. Red's checkers movement in the opposite management.

Movement of the Checkers

To start the game, each player throws a single die. This determines both the actor to become start and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up up, then both players roll once again until they roll dissimilar numbers. The thespian throwing the higher number at present moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on both dice. After the first whorl, the players throw two dice and alternating turns.

The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the role player is to motility his checkers. The checkers are always moved forwards, to a lower-numbered point. The following rules apply:

A checker may exist moved only to an open point, 1 that is non occupied by ii or more opposing checkers.
The numbers on the ii dice institute separate moves. For instance, if a player rolls v and iii, he may move one checker v spaces to an open point and another checker 3 spaces to an open point, or he may motility the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open up point, but merely if the intermediate point (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is also open up.
A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice twice. A whorl of 6 and half-dozen means that the player has four sixes to use, and he may motion any combination of checkers he feels advisable to complete this requirement.
A player must use both numbers of a gyre if this is legally possible (or all four numbers of a double). When only 1 number tin can be played, the actor must play that number. Or if either number can be played only not both, the role player must play the larger i. When neither number can be used, the actor loses his turn. In the instance of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must play as many numbers as he can.

Hitting and Entering

A point occupied past a single checker of either colour is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.

Whatsoever time a actor has one or more than checkers on the bar, his first obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing dwelling board. A checker is entered by moving information technology to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled die.

For example, if a player rolls four and 6, he may enter a checker onto either the opponent'due south four point or six indicate, so long as the prospective betoken is non occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers. If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn. If a histrion is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter every bit many as he can and so forfeit the remainder of his turn.

After the concluding of a actor'south checkers has been entered, any unused numbers on the die must be played, by moving either the checker that was entered or a different checker.

Begetting Off

Once a histrion has moved all of his xv checkers into his home board, he may commence bearing off. A player bears off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a checker from the six bespeak.

If there is no checker on the point indicated by the scroll, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered bespeak. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, the player is permitted (and required) to remove a checker from the highest signal on which ane of his checkers resides. A player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an otherwise legal move. A player must accept all of his active checkers in his home board in society to bear off. If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the thespian must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing to bear off. The first player to comport off all 15 checkers wins the game.

Doubling

Backgammon is played for an agreed pale per signal. Each game starts at one point. During the class of the game, a player who feels he has a sufficient advantage may propose doubling the stakes. He may practise this only at the commencement of his own plow and before he has rolled the dice.

A histrion who is offered a double may reject, in which case he concedes the game and pays one betoken. Otherwise, he must accept the double and play on for the new higher stakes. A actor who accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and simply he may make the adjacent double.

Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles. If a thespian refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, he becomes the new owner of the cube and the game continues at twice the previous stakes. There is no limit to the number of redoubles in a game.

Gammons and Backgammons

At the end of the game, if the losing role player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the doubling cube (1 point, if in that location accept been no doubles). All the same, if the loser has not borne off whatever of his checkers, he is gammoned and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Or, worse, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers and all the same has a checker on the bar or in the winner's dwelling house board, he is backgammoned and loses three times the value of the doubling cube.

Optional Rules

The following optional rules are in widespread use.

Automatic doubles. If identical numbers are thrown on the get-go roll, the stakes are doubled. The doubling cube is turned to two and remains in the middle. Players usually agree to limit the number of automated doubles to one per game.
Beavers. When a actor is doubled, he may immediately redouble (beaver) while retaining possession of the cube. The original doubler has the selection of accepting or refusing equally with a normal double.
The Jacoby Rule. Gammons and backgammons count only as a single game if neither actor has offered a double during the course of the game. This rule speeds up play by eliminating situations where a player avoids doubling so he can play on for a gammon.

Irregularities

The dice must be rolled together and country flat on the surface of the right-manus section of the lath. The actor must reroll both dice if a dice lands exterior the correct-hand board, or lands on a checker, or does not country flat.
A turn is completed when the player picks up his die. If the play is incomplete or otherwise illegal, the opponent has the option of accepting the play as made or of requiring the player to make a legal play. A play is deemed to have been accepted every bit made when the opponent rolls his dice or offers a double to offset his ain plough.
If a player rolls before his opponent has completed his plow by picking up the dice, the player'due south coil is voided. This dominion is generally waived any time a play is forced or when at that place is no further contact between the opposing forces.

Mutual Questions

Can I pass when information technology's my plough?
Tin can I play i number in such a way as to avoid playing the other?
What if I tin but play 1 number?
Is hit-and-run allowed (likewise known as "choice and pass")?
Is information technology ok to have more than five checkers on a indicate?
Tin I play low number first when begetting off?
Is stalemate possible in backgammon?

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