Backgammon board laid out with counters and dice

A standard backgammon layout with twenty-four points and two sets of fifteen counters.

Backgammon Rules

Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games and one of the simplest to learn. Two players race their counters around the board, using dice to move, hit, and bear off their pieces. The rules are straightforward, but the mix of probability and strategy makes backgammon endlessly replayable.

Classic race game Blocking & hitting tactics Doubling cube stakes Dutch & Acey Deucey

Board and starting position

The backgammon board has twenty-four long triangles, called points, divided into two halves (one for each player) and into inner and outer boards. Each player controls fifteen counters in a contrasting colour. From each player’s perspective, their home board is the inner quadrant on their right-hand side; the opposite inner quadrant is their opponent’s home board.

From White’s perspective, the points are numbered 1 to 24, starting at the rightmost point in White’s home board and moving clockwise. White’s counters are placed with two on the 24-point, five on the 13-point, three on the 8-point, and five on the 6-point. Black mirrors this arrangement on the opposite side of the board. To begin, each player rolls one die; the higher roll starts and plays both numbers as their first move.

Backgammon at a glance

Each player has 15 counters racing in opposite directions around the board.
The board is split into home boards and outer boards for both players.
The aim is to move all your counters into your home board and then bear them off before your opponent.

Movement, hitting and the bar

On every turn, a player rolls two dice. Each die gives a separate move value that can be used either on different counters or combined for a single counter, provided each step is legal. A double (for example 5–5) gives four separate moves of that value instead of two.

A counter may not move onto a point occupied by two or more opposing counters; such a point is blocked.
A counter may move onto a point containing a single opposing counter, "hitting" it and sending it to the bar (the central strip).
You may only use as many dice as can be played legally:
- If only one of the two dice can be played legally, you use that die and forfeit the other.
- If neither die can be played (individually or combined), the entire turn is lost and play passes to your opponent.
If you have one or more counters on the bar, you must re-enter them first into your opponent’s home board using your dice rolls. A roll of n enters a counter on the opponent’s n-th point, if it is not blocked.

Direction and flow of play

From White’s perspective, counters move clockwise around the board towards White’s home board. From Black’s perspective, counters move anticlockwise towards Black’s home board. Hitting an exposed counter and controlling key blocking points is just as important as simply racing forwards.

Counters continue to circulate around the board until all fifteen of a player’s counters are safely inside their own home board.

Bearing off and winning

Once a player has all fifteen counters in their home board, they may begin bearing off (removing counters from the board). Bearing off is done using the numbers rolled on the dice.

The first player to bear off all fifteen counters wins the game.

You may only start bearing off when no counters remain outside your home board.
A counter may be borne off from the n-th point by a roll of:
- n exactly, or;
- a higher number, if there are no counters on any higher-numbered points. For example, if your highest occupied point is the 4-point, then a roll of 4, 5, or 6 may bear off from the 4-point.
Instead of bearing off, you may move a counter within the home board if that move is legal and strategically preferable.

Stakes and the doubling cube

Backgammon is often played for points or money using a doubling cube. The cube shows the values 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64, representing the current stake multiplier.

At the start of play the cube is neutral and the game is at a single stake. On your turn, before rolling, you may offer to double the stakes:
- If your opponent accepts, the stake is doubled and the cube is turned to the new value.
- The opponent then takes control of the cube and is the only player who may offer the next double.
- If the opponent declines, they concede the game immediately and lose the current stake.
- The cube can be doubled repeatedly during a game, subject to the players’ agreement and match rules.

When the game ends, the value of the win is based on the state of the losing player’s counters:

If the loser has borne off at least one counter, they lose the stake shown on the cube (a single game).
If the loser has not borne off any counters, the loss is greater:
- Gammon: all losing counters are still in the loser’s home or outer board – the loser pays double the cube value.
- Backgammon: the loser has at least one counter in the winner’s home board or on the bar – the loser pays triple the cube value.

Popular variations

Many groups play backgammon with local variations that change the pace or risk profile of the game. Two of the best known are Dutch Backgammon and Acey Deucey.

Dutch Backgammon

All counters start off the board and must be entered into play using normal rolls, as if they were on the bar.
A lone opposing counter on a point may only be hit once at least one of your counters has already reached your home board, which slows early aggression.

Acey Deucey

Acey Deucey is a fast, swingy variant popular in the US military, with more dramatic swings in position and stake.

As in the Dutch version, all counters begin off the board and are entered with rolls.
You may move any counters you like, even if some are still off the board; there is no requirement to enter off-board counters first.
Games are often scored by multiplying the stake by the number of counters a player still has on the board when they lose.

A special rule applies when a player rolls "acey deucey" (1 and 2):

The 1 and 2 are played as a normal roll.
If both moves are played legally, the player then chooses any double (for example 4–4) and plays it as four additional moves.
If all four moves of the chosen double are also played, the player rolls again and continues their turn.

Online and club rules sometimes further tweak the doubling procedure, for example by removing gammon/backgammon multipliers, allowing automatic doubles on the opening roll, or offering an automatic "redouble" option when a double is accepted.

The Regency Chess Company is a trading name of JDS Toys & Games Ltd. Registered office: L5 Commerce Park, Frome BA11 2FB, UK. UK Registered Company number: 05642467. VAT: GB925 9476 81
The Regency Chess Company is a registered trademark number 2523868. The Regency Chess Company Limited, UK registered company number 06955067 is owned solely by JDS Toys & Games Limited.
Shareholder and Managing Director: Julian Deverell.

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Backgammon Rules

Board and starting position

Backgammon at a glance

Movement, hitting and the bar

Direction and flow of play

Bearing off and winning

Stakes and the doubling cube

When the game ends, the value of the win is based on the state of the losing player’s counters:

Popular variations

Dutch Backgammon

Acey Deucey

A special rule applies when a player rolls "acey deucey" (1 and 2):

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