Object Of The Game & Board Setup

The object is to move all of one's pieces around the game board towards your home (inner) board, and then off the board altogether. The first player to remove all of their pieces from the game wins. To determine which player goes first, each player rolls a single die. The player with the higher die roll plays first. If both dice show the same number, roll again.The first player uses the two dice just rolled as they lie, to determine their first move. Both players roll their own pair of dice thereafter. Dice must land flat in the playing area of the board. If either of them land cocked (on an angle, or on a checker) both dice must then be re-rolled.The playing area is made of four quarters of six POINTs each (4x6 alternating black and white triangles). Points represent the playing spaces. Pieces move the number of spaces corresponding to the dice rolls.

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How To Move Checkers

For the sake of our examples, the board will be aligned so that the orientation is for you to play black, and are moving clockwise from the top left to bottom left. White moves counterclockwise from bottom left to top left. A player may move the same checker twice, or move different checkers, each corresponding to a die roll. A player may move one or more pieces onto a point under the following conditions: the point is unoccupied the point is occupied with one or more of the player's own pieces the point is occupied by an opponent's single piece (blot)

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Hitting Checkers

If a player moves a checker onto another point which is occupied by an opponent's single peice (blot), the hit checkers is removed and placed on the bar (the raised part of the board in the centre). Since this checker placed on the bar must start in your home end and start over his race, it is usually strategically correct to hit an opponent when you have the chance.

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Moving Off The Bar

When a player has a piece on the bar, they must place that piece back into play before moving any other piece. In order to remove that piece from the bar, a number must be rolled corresponding to a free point in your opponents home board. (a point not occupied by more than one of your opponents checkers). If a roll does not permit a player to move their piece onto the board, they may not move any other checker and their turn is over. If there are two or more pieces on the bar, then each checker must be put into play before any other piece can be moved.

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Rolling Doubles

In Backgammon, when a player rolls two of the same number with his dice, it is called 'rolling doubles'. Doubles are usually a great backgammon roll, as players must make 4 moves of the die number rolled. This allows for great flexibility, as a player can move anywhere from 1 to 4 different checkers around the board.

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Bearing Off

Once a player has moved all of their pieces into their home board, they may start TO BEAR them OFF (remove them from the game). The player rolls both dice, and has two options: 1) the player may move one or more pieces a number of spaces corresponding to the dice roll 2) the player may remove a piece from the point of the number corresponding to the dice roll from the game board. A piece may be removed from a point of a number lower than the dice roll, provided that there are no pieces on any higher points.

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The Doubling Cube

This cube is numbered 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and is used when players are competing more formally. This usually means playing for money, in a match, or as part of a tournament. The cube is placed at a neutral point with the 64 facing up. In this position, it is called the 'CENTERED CUBE'. At any point in the game, either player may pick up the cube, offer the game at doubled stakes. If the other player accepts it, they take control of the cube. Doubled stakes might mean doubled the amount of money wagered, or it could mean a double of the "value" of the game. In a tournament, one game could count for more if the doubling cube is used.At any point thereafter, the player with control of the cube may turn it so that 4 faces up, and offer to double the stakes again. If the other player accepts, they take the cube, and can offer to double again to 8, and so on.If a player does not accept the double, they immediately lose the game for the current value of the cube (one if it has not been used previously). The first player to remove all of their pieces from the board (which doesn't include burying them in a nearby flower pot) wins at the stakes agreed upon as determined by the cube, up to 64 times the original bet.