Backgammon How To Play
Backgammon is a game for two players. It is played with a backgammon set with a backgammon board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The points alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six points each. The quadrants are referred to as a player's home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge (which is commonly the hinge that closes the game board) down the center of the board called the bar.
The points are numbered for either player starting in that player's home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also the opponent's one point. Each player has fifteen discs of his own color. To set up the game the disks are configured as follows: two discs on each player's twenty-four point, five on each player's thirteen point, three on each player's eight point, and five on each player's six point.
Both players have their own pair of dice and a dice cup used for shaking them. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake of the game.
The object of the game is move all your discs into your own home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their discs wins the game.
Beginning The Backgammon Game
To begin the game, each player throws one die. This determines both the player to go first and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up, then both players roll again until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the higher number now moves his discs according to the numbers showing on both dice. After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns. The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his discs. The discs are always moved forward and to a lower-numbered point. The following rules are followed:
Backgammon Rules:
A disc may be moved only to an open point, and one that is not occupied by two or more opposing discs. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to another open point, or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is also open.
A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice two times. A roll of 6 and a 6 means that the player has four sixes to use, and he may move any combination of discs he feels appropriate to complete this requirement. A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally possible (or all four numbers of a double). When only one number can be played, the player must play that number. Or if either number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger one. When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn. In the case of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must play as many numbers as he can.
A point occupied by only one disc of either color is called a blot. If an opposing disc lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar. Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first obligation is to enter those discs into the opposing home board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice.
If a player rolls 4 and 6, he may enter a disk onto either the opponent's four point or six point, so long as the prospective point is not occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers. If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn. If a player is able to enter some but not all of his discs he must enter as many as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his turn. After the last of a player's discs has been moved, any unused numbers on the dice must be played, by moving either the disc that was entered or a different disk.
Once a player has moved all of his fifteen discs onto his home board, he may start to bear them off. A player bears off a disc by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the disc resides, and then removing that checker from the board. Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a disc from the six point and so on. If there is no disc on the point indicated by the roll, the player must make a legal move using a disc on a higher-numbered point. If there are no dics on higher-numbered points, the player is permitted (and required) to remove a disc from the highest point on which one of his dics resides. A player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an otherwise legal move.
A player must have all of his discs in his home board in order to bear off. If a disk is hit during the bear-off process, the player must bring that disc back to his backgammon wood board before continuing to bear off. The first player to bear off all fifteen discs wins the game.
Online Backgammon
Backgammon games can be played online. Online backgammon can be found on Yahoo Games. Free backgammon can be played at: www.backgammongamer.com and also at: www.silvercrk.com/backgammon/
Backgammon Chess Tables
There are stores online where you can purchase backgammon tables that can be flipped over for use in both chess and backgammon games.
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