Backgammon FAQ

 

What is backgammon?

Backgammon is one of the oldest games known to mankind, developed some 5000 years ago, probably by the ancient Egyptians. Many tend to believe it is a game of luck, but that's not so ? it is a pure game of strategy. It might not seem as strategic as chess, since there is the random element of luck involved due to the dice, but a skilled player can definitely use planning, imagination and psychology to win.

Backgammon is played on a special game board. Two players play opposite each other with two sets of 15 checkers (light color and dark) which are set up in a mirror pattern.

What exactly is the object of the game?

Backgammon is a very simple game to learn and to play. The basic object of the game is to be the first to move your 15 checkers around the board and into your "home", and then to take them off the board. The first player to get all his men off the board wins the game.

My board is set up. How do I move my men?

Each player begins his or her turn by throwing the dice. The total amount on both dice makes up the amount of "places" one can move forward. A player can move one piece the entire amount, or can move two pieces separately, according to the number shown on one of the dice.

Let's say you cast 4 and 2. You can decide to move one man 6 places or move one man 2 places and another man 4 places. You can move one man 2 plus 4, stopping in the middle long enough to knock your opponent off to the board and onto the bar. But we'll explain that later on.

What happens if I throw a double?

If the same number appears on the dice, for example, 3-3 or 5-5 it is known as a doublet. The player who threw the double is entitled to four moves instead of two. Therefore, if you threw 3-3 you get to move your men 3 spaces, four times, according to your discretion, IE ? one man can be moved a total of 12 places, or four men can beadvanced 3 spaces each, and so on.

What do "Blots" mean?

A single piece on a point is called a blot. If during your turn you can move one of your men to the same blot which is occupied by one of your opponents pieces, that piece is knocked off and placed on the bar (the middle ridge down the center of the board). The same is true in the following scenario: you throw 3 and 4. You want to move only one man, and while moving him you discover that he will "hit" one of your opponents' pieces with either the 3 or the 4. You can knock him off and continue your move with the same man.

A piece that has been knocked off and is sitting on the bar, has to re-enter the game in the opposing home table. Bringing a piece back into the game is a priority! No moves may be played until a piece that has been placed on the bar is back in the game. If a player cannot bring his man back into the game (because the points corresponding to the numbers he threw are occupied by 2 or more of the opponents' pieces, or the entire opposing home table is "closed", which means each point has at least 2 opposing men on it).

My opponent knocked me off the board, but he says I can't re-enter. Why is that?

A player who has at least 2 pieces on all six points of his home board, is said to have a "closed board". That means if you have a man on the bar, you can't even roll the dice because you have nowhere to land. Since bringing a man back into the game is a priority, you basically have nothing to do but sit back and watch your opponent play until his home table opens up.

Skilled players who succeed in maneuvering their opponent into this kind of situation, can literally finish off a game with a "gammon" or "backgammon" win.

I threw the dice but my opponent said they were "Cocked". What does that mean?

When you throw the dice, they both have to come to rest flat on the board. Some say it is customary to throw the dice only in the right hand side of the board. But wherever you are throwing, they must land flat. If one lands on the bar or lands leaning against a piece, the dice is called "cocked" and you must throw again.

All my men are home. How do I take them out to win?

When all your men are in your home table and you want to take them out, it is called " Bearing off". Bearing off from any point, can be done by throwing dice corresponding to that point, IE ? a 1 corresponds to the first point from the edge of your home table, 2 is the second and so on.

Needless to say you cannot bear off if you don't have all your men in your home table. If you are knocked off during bearing off, you must first re-enter your piece and bring him around the board and into your home table before any further bearing off is done. If you threw high numbers on the dice but have no men on corresponding points, you automatically bear off men from lower points.

The best way to bear off is to begin with the higher numbers, farthest from the edge, folding inwards the lower numbers as you go along. This leaves only the points closest to the edge, where any number can bear them off.

I picked up a piece and then regretted the move. Do I have to move a piece if I touch it?

Although "touch-move" is not a basic feature of the formal rules of backgammon, many players frown upon touching or moving and then regretting. A player is free to change his move for any number of times until he has made up his mind, but in some countries (especially in the Middle East, you might get the board thrown at you if you start picking up your pieces and then rethinking your moves.

What does "Gammon" and "Backgammon" mean?

When you succeed in bearing off all of your men before your opponent was able to bear off even a single piece, you win a double game, or "gammon".

"Backgammon" is when you were able to bear off all of your men while your opponent still has pieces in your home table or on the bar, thus awarding you a triple win.

What is the doubling cube used for?

Some say that the introduction of the doubling cube is the main reason modern backgammon has become so popular.

The doubling cube is a large dice with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 & 64 on its sides. When you start playing, the doubling cube is placed on the bar down or on the side. At any time during the game when you feel you are leading, you may propose to double the stakes by turning the doubling cube to 2 before you throw your dice. Your opponent can accept or decline. If he declines, he loses the game. If he accepts, the game continues with the stake at 2 units. Since your opponent accepts, he now "owns" the doubling cube, giving him the option to redouble the stakes at will. If so, you are now faced with the same dilemma you put before him earlier ? forfeit the game or raise the stakes.

Can I double if I am on the bar or "closed out"?

Yes, you can double at the start of your turn, regardless of your position. This might not be such a smart move if you are on the bar, but a skilled player with an insight to the intricacies of the game might still double in this situation if he calculates right.

What is Backgammon Tournament ?

Backgammon tournaments are formal competitions like any other tournament. Pairs compete and play a series of games until they have reached a predestined number of points. After each consecutive round, the organizers halve the number of players remaining, building up the tension through the quarter finals and half finals until two players remain. A face to face match determines the winner of the event.

Of course the size of the tournament, the total number of players and the match length depends on factors such as overall interest in the event and time available for play.

What is money play?

As in any sort of competition game, playing backgammon for money is the one of the standard forms of play. You play one game at a time against your opponent for an arranged stake per point. When using the doubling cube, the stakes may increase as the game progresses.

Is there such a thing as the best backgammon player in the world?

Although some players might define themselves as the greatest, there is an event called The World Backgammon Championships, held each year in Monte Carlo, which awards the winner with the title World Champion. However, due to the restrictions of events like this, it is hard to say that the entire backgammon community stands behind one lone champion. There are alternative means for ranking backgammon players around the world - one of the foremost is the "Giants of Backgammon" list, where top players from all over are ranked and rated by fellow colleagues. Still, any form of ranking will contain some sort of bias which prevents one from giving a definite answer.

How can I beat my friends at backgammon?

Ever heard of the old saying: "Practice makes perfect"? Practice, practice and more practice is what turns a good player into a superb professional. But it's not only the practice that counts. Achieving success at backgammon requires you to master a number of concepts. Read books on the subject. Study great moves. Listen to advice. Try different techniques. But in the end, even a hard boiled veteran can be beat by a newbie at backgammon, when hit by the cruel nature of the dice and pure luck.