How to Play Backgammon — Complete Beginner's Guide

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, with roots stretching back over 5,000 years. Despite its age, it remains one of the most engaging and strategically rich games you can play today — a perfect mix of luck, skill, and decision-making.

This guide covers everything you need to start playing with confidence: the board, the setup, how movement works, hitting, bearing off, scoring, and your first strategy tips.

What You Need to Play

A standard backgammon set includes:

A board with 24 narrow triangles (points), divided into four quadrants of 6
15 checkers per player in two different colours
2 dice and a dice cup per player
1 doubling cube

The Board at a Glance

The board is divided into four sections:

Your home board — points 1–6, bottom right. This is where you must bring all your checkers before bearing off.
Your outer board — points 7–12, bottom left.
Your opponent’s outer board — points 13–18, top left.
Your opponent’s home board — points 19–24, top right. This is where your back checkers start.

The bar is the central ridge dividing the board. When a checker is hit, it is placed on the bar and must re-enter before anything else moves.

You move your checkers counterclockwise (from point 24 toward point 1). Your opponent moves clockwise. Both players race in opposite directions.

Starting Position

Each player places their 15 checkers in the same starting position:

2 checkers on the 24-point (your opponent’s home board)
5 checkers on the 13-point (your opponent’s outer board)
3 checkers on the 8-point (your outer board)
5 checkers on the 6-point (your home board)

Your opponent places their checkers symmetrically on the opposite side.

👉 Full board setup guide with diagrams

How a Turn Works

At the start of the game, each player rolls one die. The higher roll goes first, and that player uses both numbers for their opening move. After that, players alternate turns, each rolling two dice.

On your turn:

Roll both dice
Move your checkers the number of points shown on each die
You may move one checker twice, or two different checkers once each
You must use both numbers if legally possible
If only one die can be played, you must use the higher value

Example: You roll 3 and 5. You can move one checker 3 points and another 5 points, or move the same checker 8 points total (3 then 5, or 5 then 3 — as long as each intermediate point is open).

Doubles: If you roll the same number on both dice, you play that number four times instead of two. Rolling 4-4 gives you four moves of 4.

Blocked Points

You cannot land on a point occupied by 2 or more of your opponent’s checkers. That point is blocked.

You can move to:

An empty point
A point with your own checkers (any number)
A point with exactly one opponent checker — which you then hit

You can freely pass over blocked points — checkers only need to avoid landing on them.

Hitting and the Bar

A single checker sitting alone on a point is called a blot. If your opponent lands on your blot, it is hit and placed on the bar.

When you have a checker on the bar you must re-enter it before making any other move. To re-enter, roll a number that corresponds to an open point in your opponent’s home board (points 1–6 from their perspective).

Roll a 3 → enter on point 3 (if not blocked)
Roll a 5 → enter on point 5 (if not blocked)

If all six entry points are blocked, you lose your entire turn.

👉 Full guide: Hitting and the Bar

Bearing Off

Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1–6), you can start bearing off — removing checkers from the board entirely. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.

Basic bearing-off rules:

Roll the exact number to remove a checker from that point
If no checker is on the exact point, bear off from the highest occupied point below it
If your roll is higher than any occupied point, bear off from your highest occupied point
If you can make a legal move inside the home board instead of bearing off, you may be required to do so

Example: You roll a 6 and your highest checker is on the 4-point. You bear off the checker from the 4-point.

Scoring

Not all wins are equal in backgammon:

Result	Condition	Points
Normal win	You bear off first	1 point
Gammon	You win before opponent bears off any checker	2 points
Backgammon	You win before opponent bears off any checker, and they still have a checker on the bar or in your home board	3 points

Most casual games are played as a match — first to a set number of points (typically 5, 7, or 11) wins.

The Doubling Cube

The doubling cube is a special die marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. Before rolling, a player who believes they have an advantage can offer to double the current stake. The opponent can accept (the game continues at double value) or decline (conceding immediately at the current stake).

The doubling cube adds a powerful strategic layer to backgammon. As a beginner, focus on the basic rules first — but start paying attention to the cube once you feel comfortable with movement and bearing off.

👉 Full guide: How the Doubling Cube works

First Strategy Tips for Beginners

You don’t need to master strategy on day one. But these principles will immediately make you a better player:

1. Fight for the 5-point early. The 5-point in your home board is the most valuable point on the board. Making it on the first move (roll 3-1) is the single best opening play in backgammon.

2. Make points, don’t leave blots. A checker alone on a point can be hit and sent to the bar. Try to keep checkers in pairs or larger groups.

3. Enter from the bar first. If you have a checker on the bar, it must re-enter before anything else. Always check the bar at the start of your turn.

4. Use both dice. You must use both numbers if legally possible. Using only one die when both are playable is one of the most common beginner mistakes.

5. Doubles are four moves. When you roll doubles, you play that number four times — not twice. Missing this wastes one of the biggest advantages in the game.

6. Know your game plan. Are you ahead in the race? Run your checkers home. Are you behind? Look to hit blots and slow your opponent down. The right strategy depends on your position.

👉 Full backgammon strategy guide

Free Printable

🎲 Backgammon Rules & Beginner’s Cheat Sheet — Free Download

New to backgammon? Download this free 3-page printable and keep it beside you while you play. Covers movement, the bar, bearing off, scoring, the doubling cube, and the most common beginner mistakes — all in one easy reference.

Download Free →

Common Beginner Mistakes

Forgetting to enter from the bar first
Using only one die when both can be played
Trying to bear off before all 15 checkers are in the home board
Forgetting that doubles are played four times
Offering the doubling cube after rolling instead of before

Practice Makes the Difference

Reading the rules is a great start — but backgammon is learned through play. The fastest way to improve is to get real games in as quickly as possible.

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May the dice be with you! 🎲