Backgammon is one of the oldest two-player table games in the world. If you are interested in this game and want to try, we offer here an instruction about the rule and the game.
Backgammon rules
• The checkers is moved according to the number shown on each die separately, the same checker can be moved twice.
• If a player’s two dice have the same number, he has to play each die twice.
• If only one die can be played, the checker will be move according to the dice with higher number.
• If the movement of a checker following one die number make it possible for the movement according to the remaining die to be done, it is compulsory to play the first die.
• A player can land his or her checker on any unoccupied point or in a point that is occupied by his or her own checker. The checker can also land on a point occupied by one checker of the opponent only. There is a “hit” in this case.
• The checker that is hit is placed in the middle of the board and re-enters the game through the opponent home board according to the number of pins the player can achieve. If the dice have a total of two pins, the checker can be place at point 23, three pins for point 22 and so on.
• When a player bear of his or her checker, a higher number of pins have to be used prior to the lower number and a die can be used to bear off checkers from a lower numbered point only when there are not any checkers in the higher point.
• In the bearing off process, a player can move the checker according to the lower die roll before the higher.
Backgammon game play
• The backgammon table is designed with 12 long triangles (points) connected across one edge of the board in each side, numbered 1 to 24 as in the figure. Each player has two checkers on their 24 point, three on their 8 point, five on their 13 and 6 point. Points 1 through 6 are known as inner board or home board; points 7 through 12 are outer board; point 7 is bar point; point 13 is mid point.
• To start the game, each player rolls his or her die. The player with higher number of pins moves first, the step is the sum of the number in both die.
• Then the players take turn to role the two dice and move their checker according to the number shown on each die. The movement path of the checkers is shown on the figure above.
• During the game, a player can try to hit his or her opponent’s checkers to kick them out of the game.
• When all of the checkers have been moved to a player home board, that player can start bearing off his checker. The players that can remove all of his checkers from the board before his opponent will win the game.
Although the result of this game depends a lot on your luck, you still need to know the rules in order to win. You can buy a backgammon kit and play it with your friends. Or if you do not have an opponent to play with, you can play this game online in several online gaming sites.
