Backgammon

The game of backgammon is a dice game that combines luck and skill in equal measures. It is played on a board that has 24 triangular markings referred to as Points, 30 checkers that are round disk-like pieces – 15 in each color (usually black checkers and white checkers) and a pair of dice.

The game is played between two players racing between them to finish the game first. The players play independently, each in their own turn, but can affect the other player's movements by restricting them.

The board is split in the middle by a bar creating four quarters each consisting of 6 points. Before the game starts each player aligns their checkers on the board in the following manner:

- 5 checkers placed on the player's 6th point.

- 3 checkers placed on the player's 8th point.

- 5 checkers placed on the player's 13th point.

- 2 checkers placed on the player's 24th point.

As players sit opposite each other on both sides of the backgammon board the first point up until the 24th point of each player are at opposite sides of the board, and their checkers are also at opposite sides of the board.

To determine which player begins, each player throws one die and the players who rolled the highest number start the game.

Each player in their turn rolls both dice and can then progress on checker according to the total sum of the dice or two checkers, each moving the number that is showed on one of the dice.

Player can only move checkers to a point that has their checkers on it or is clear of any checkers or has only one of their opponent's checkers on it and by that remove that checker in an action called 'hitting' and the single checker that is exposed to a hit is called 'blot'.

The blot will then be removed from the game and the only way it can be returned is by the opponent rolling the dice on their turn and putting the checker in their opponent 'home' board, only at a point that is empty of the opponent checkers or has a single checker that can be hit.

If all the points on the home board are blocked the player is prevented from continuing play until one opens up and they can roll the dice to try and enter. They cannot continue play with the checkers they have anywhere on the board until the hit checker has reentered the game.

The reentered checker will then need to be moved all the way across the board in order to reach the end of the board, which delays the opponent's movements towards victory.

When a player gets all their checkers into their home board they may start the 'bearing off' stage of removing their checkers from the game by rolling the dice and removing them according to the numbers shown. So if the dice are 3 & 6 the player may remove one checker from the 6th point and one from the 3rd point. If that point is empty they need to move another checker within their home board.

If all their remaining checkers are at points 1 through 3 and they roll 5 & 6 they may remove the checkers at the highest point they have, thus removing them from point 3. The player who completes the bearing off stage first is the winner.

A doubling dice can be used in the game to increase the wager mid game but is not mandatory and two players can decide on a fixed wager for the game and play without it.