Object

Backgammon is a table game in which the goal is to clear all the pieces from the board before the opponent. In order to do so, checkers must cover the board, clockwise for one of the players and counter-clockwise for the other player. This means both players’ checkers will cross their paths.

Backgammon development

Game start – Players sit in front of each other with the board between them set up in such a way that the bar divides the board in two halves. Each backgammon player has two dice but, only during the first roll each one of the players throws only one die, the player that obtains the highest value starts playing.

Moves – Except in the first roll of the dice, players have to throw the dice and move the checkers as many points as the dice indicate. A movement is valid only when it ends in an empty point, in a point with checkers that belong to the player or in a point with only one opponent’s checker. In this case the opponent’s checker is captured and put on the bar in the backgammon board. If the point has two or more opponent’s checkers, the player can’t move his checker to that point.

Doubles – When a player rolls the dice and both show the same value, the player doubles his moves.

Captured checkers – If a player has captured checkers he can only make moves introducing those checkers in the backgammon board and he won’t be able to make moves with other pieces until he gets all the pieces back in the game.

Pass – In each turn players have to make as many moves as they can according to the values in the dice. It may happen that a player misses his turn because he can’t make any moves.

End of the game – The backgammon game ends when one of the players removes all his checkers from the board. Checkers must leave the backgammon board using the exact number required for that. The player can only use a higher dice value to remove a checker when there’s no other checker on the board.

Bets and end of the game

Up to this point we have explained how a backgammon game works and how to play backgammon, but generally players play until they get the number of points previously agreed. In this case the winner will be the player that gets enough or more points.

When a game begins backgammon players place their bets and during the game, before throwing the dice, each player has the choice to double his opponent’s bet. If a player offers a bet and the opponent doesn’t accept it, the player who made the bet wins what he has bet up to that moment and the game ends.