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How to Set Up and Play a Backgammon Board

Backgammon is played by two players on a rectangular board divided in two by a bar. Twenty-four triangles are on the board, 12 on each side of the bar. Each triangle is given a value from one to 24, increasing clockwise from the bottom, right-hand triangle to the top, right-hand triangle. The area occupying triangles one through six is White's home board, while the area occupying triangles 19 to 24 is the Red's home board.

Instructions

Setting Up
- 1
  Choose which player will be White and which will be Red. Roll the dice to determine who plays first.
- 2
  Place six white checkers in a row on triangles No. 6 and No. 13 and six red checkers in a row on triangles No. 9 and 12. Red and white are opposite of each other.
- 3
  Place three white checkers in a row on triangle No. 8 and three red checkers on triangle No. 17. These are also opposite each other. Place two white checkers in a line on triangle No. 24 and two red checkers on triangle No. 1.
How to Play
- 4
  Roll the dice. The numbers on the dice represent how many triangles --- or pips --- a player can move her checkers. Checkers can only be moved forward and never backward. The object of the game is to move all of your checkers into your home board.
- 5
  Move your checkers as dictated by the dice. Each die roll represents a separate move; for example, a player rolls a five and a three. The player can move one checker three places and another checker five places, or he can move a single checker eight spaces if a triangle is open.
- 6
  Play the dice roll twice if you roll doubles; for example, if you roll double five, you can make four different moves of five.
- 7
  Use both number of a dice roll if possible; players cannot pass if a move is possible. If only one dice roll is available to play, the player must make a move.
- 8
  Move the checker to the bar if it is alone on a triangle and one of your opponent checkers moves there. The dislodged checker is known as blot and must be a player's top priority. No other moves can be made until she returns her blot to the playing board.
- 9
  Move all of your 15 checkers into your home board. If you have a blot, you cannot start bearing off until it is back into the game. Bearing off is the final stage of backgammon.
- 10
  Roll the dice and remove checkers that are on the triangle that corresponds with your dice roll. For example, if you have a checker on triangle No. 1 and you roll a one on the die, you remove that checker.
- 11
  Bear off all of your checkers to win. If a checker cannot bear off, you must make a legal move.

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