This article contains all information about Arkadium’s Backgammon Game. Learn more about Backgammon in this article.
People have been playing Backgammon for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest and most popular board games in the world. After learning more about its origins and the benefits of playing, try our free online version and put your skills to the test.
How to play
Backgammon is a board game in which two players attempt to clear their checker pieces from the board. The goal is to move all your checkers to the other side of the board before the opponent’s checker reaches your side. The first player to ‘bear off’ all their pieces wins.
Playing Backgammon online pits you against a digital opponent. Even though you start with the same number of active checkers, one bad roll of the dice can block and prevent you from making other moves. You’ll need a sensible strategy, patience, and good luck to win.
The objective of backgammon is to move all your checkers toward the No. 1 point on the board. Your opponent will attempt to do the opposite.
At the start of the game, you'll have to Roll the dice to decide whether you or your opponent goes first.
Players will then alternate turns moving the pieces, rolling the dice after each turn. Backgammon checkers are moved one at a time, according to the number from the dice roll. If a backgammon checker move is available, you must make one.
After you've made your move, you can click on Submit Turn to accept your move, or on Undo to undo the move.
In order to move your Backgammon Checkers properly, please check this movement guide:
- Move to an open point
You can only move your checkers to an open point. This is a point on the board that is occupied by less than two of your opponent’s checkers.
- Follow the dice
Your two dice determine how many places you can move your checkers. For example, if your dice are two and three, one checker can be moved two places and the other can be moved three.
- Roll a double to boost your move
If you roll a double, you can make four moves.
- Use both your dice
You must make both of the moves determined by your two dice.
WARNING: Please understand that our game allows only for a specific subset of rules we describe, and does not allow for alternative Backgammon rules and specific engagements such as the use of a doubling cube.Rules of hitting and entering in backgammon
Hitting
Hitting in backgammon is when a checker lands on a point that’s occupied by an opposing checker. When this happens, the piece is hit and placed in the bar. The bar is the ridge in the center of the board that divides the home and outer boards.
Entering
If you have one or more checkers in the bar, you are obligated to enter these pieces into your opponent’s home board.
Rules of bearing off in backgammon
You can bear off in backgammon once you’ve moved your 15 checkers into your home board.
You do this by rolling the dice and hitting a number that matches a point where a checker rests. For example, if your checker is on point six, hitting a six will allow you to remove this piece from the board.
Rules of gammons and backgammons
If you finish your game and have borne off at least one of your checkers then you will only lose the amount that shows on the doubling cube, or one point if there have been no doubles in the game.
However, if you’ve not borne off any pieces, you’ll be either gammoned or backgammoned.
Gammon
If you’ve not borne off any checkers but have cleared your pieces from the bar then you’ll be gammoned. If this happens then you lose 2x the amount of the doubling cube.
Backgammon
If you’ve not borne off any checkers and still have pieces either on the bar or your opponent’s home board then you’ll be backgammoned. If this happens then you lose 3x the amount of the doubling cube.
NOTE: Make sure to refresh your knowledge with the rules once in a while. And don't worry, the point is to have fun!
On the right, you'll see three icons. These can be used to view the Game Settings, to mute the Sound and to open the Help window.
Tips
Here are some tips to make your game more enjoyable.
- Tip 1: using speed to win at backgammon
Sometimes the best way to play backgammon is to simply move your backgammon checkers around the board as quickly as possible and avoid getting sent to the bar. If you can get the majority of your pieces across the middle of the board at the beginning of the game, your chances of winning will be much higher!
- Tip 2: using blockers to win at backgammon
Other times, the best strategy may be to try to hold your opponent back as much as possible by blocking their checkers from advancing. By disrupting the other player’s strategy, you’re more likely to be crowned the winner.
- Tip 3: protect your advanced checkers
Your blots are always vulnerable to being sent to the bar, but notice that this is more of a setback for more advanced checkers than for less advanced ones.
- Tip 4: sometimes you have to concede
Also, it is sometimes wiser to refuse a double and concede the backgammon game than to accept doubled stakes and lose.
- Tip 5: always make the golden point
The golden point is your 5 point on the backgammon board. This is the most strategically important point on the board and making it at an early stage in the game makes it difficult for your opponent to build an effective strategy.
Scoring
Your score is the total number of points that a player must move his checkers to bring them home and bear them off.
EXAMPLE: at the start of a game, each player has a pip count of 167: 48 pips for 2 checkers on the 24-point, plus 65 pips for 5 checkers on the 13-point, plus 24 pips for 3 checkers on the eight-point, plus 30 pips for 5 checkers on the six-point
NOTE: our game is not ofering the Doubling Cube feature
If the player wins the game, the following multipliers could be applied:
- If the opponent has not borne off any pieces, this is a "gammon" and worth DOUBLE the current score.
- If the opponent has a piece left on the BAR, this is a "backgammon" and worth TRIPLE the current score.
NOTE: player cannot get both 2x and 3x multipliers (for a total of 6x)
The maximum possible score should go over 800 points (with 2x or 3x multipliers), because 167 is the starting number of pips, but the other player can send the opponent's pieces back to the beginning, so the pip count can end up being higher than 167.