Who’s first?
The main object of this two-player game is to remove your pieces before your opponent removes his. Game play starts with the roll of two dice to see who goes first, and then it’s eyes down, and on with the game!

Mind the spikes…
Backgammon rules take only 10 minutes to learn. Each player rolls a pair of dice and moves his counters around the board. The board itself contains a symmetrical layout of 24 spikes, or points along which players place their pieces, or stones.

Board layout
One player takes charge of the white stones, his opponent controls the red. Red’s points are numbered from 1 to 24, with point number 1 on his nearside right and point number 24 directly opposite. White’s board is numbered from 1 to 24 with point number 1 on his nearside left with point number 24 directly opposite. Points 19 to 24 are special points known as home, where each player moves his stones before bearing them off from the board. The red player starts with two counters on point number 1, five on point numbers 12 and 19 and three on point number 17. White’s stones reflect a mirror image of white’s stone layout.

Pip counting
After determining who plays first, the game opens with a roll of the dice pair. Each player moves their pieces a number of points corresponding to the spots or pips on the dice. Players can move two pieces according to the two numbers on the dice, or one piece totaling the pips of the dice. For example, throwing a three and a six, the player could move one stone three points, and another six. Alternatively, he could move one stone forward nine points. A double roll provides a player with a bonus roll of the dice.

Backgammon is a game of both skill and luck, which can be played in various ways. You can play it for fun only; but the real fun is to play for money, since it enhances the thrill and motivation. Download backgammon software and enjoy the most exciting game.

Steer clear of the bar

Play proceeds with each player bringing his stones into his own home base as quickly as possible. As there’s not much challenge in this, an added rule called blotting enables a player to bump an opponent’s stone off the board for a period of time. If the red player’s dice count enables him to land on a space occupied by one white stone, then that white stone becomes a blot and must then move onto the central bar. The player who has been blotted cannot continue until he returns the blot to the board. This is done by rolling a dice that brings the blot back to a starting point which is unoccupied by an opponent’s stone. Of course, if that point is only occupied by one stone, then that stone in turn is bumped to the bar. Oh yes, this can be the source of much merriment!

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The aristocracy and slave population of Egypt and Greece played a similar game called, ìsenat.î The Romans changed the number of dice from two to three and called it ìbac gamenî or ìback game.î From the Roman civilization, backgammon moved to Persia, where it was again played with two dice in a game called ìTakhteh Nard” or “Battle on Wood.”

During the time of the Crusades, the Anglo Saxon soldiers and traders played yet another version called ìTablesî or ìTabula.î Throughout the history of backgammon, the Church attempted several times to ban the game, but always failed. Cardinal Woolsey, in the 16th century, ordered all the boards burned, calling the game ìthe devilís folly.î Burning the boards was useless, however, since any type of board could be drawn in dirt or sand and played with small pebbles. Dice were often handmade and were small enough to be easily concealed on a person or hidden in someoneís home. Furthermore, the English were very clever and decided to disguise the backgammon board as a folding book.

Their innovative craftsmanship is still evident in the board we use today. Edmund Hoyle, the famous writer and gamesman, documented the rules and the history of backgammon in the mid 1700ís. Colonists from England brought backgammon to their homes in America, along with chess and other board games of the times. Although the game of backgammon lost some popularity in the Victorian era, it quickly reappeared and gained strength in the 20th century. At this time, an unknown inventor devised the doubling cube, which offers players the opportunity to multiply their initial wager by the amount on the doubling cube. Of course, some strategy and experience is needed before using the doubling cube.

Tournaments, books, magazines, and clubs are now a part of the history of backgammon. The introduction of the game on the Internet has increased its popularity to an even greater extent. Backgammon is a fast-paced, challenging, and entertaining game of skill and luck.

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