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The Easiest Way to Learn How to Play Backgammon

Backgammon is a game played between 2 people and requires both luck and skill. Each player attempts to bring his checkers home before the opponent does, while hitting and blocking the opponent's checkers along the way. The origin of backgammon dates back around 5000 years. The game was refined in England during the seventeenth century. It has recently gained popularity with the rise of the computer and the Internet, as more and more players are switching on and playing online.

Instructions

The Easiest Way to Learn How to Play Backgammon
- 1
  Learn the layout of the board. The Backgammon playing board consists of twenty-four triangles or points. The board is then divided into 4 quadrants with each player having 1 home quadrant and 1 outer quadrant. The home and outer quadrants are separated by the bar down the middle of the board. Each point is numbered 1 to twenty-four, with the twenty-four point being the opponents 1 point and vice-versa.
- 2
  Arrange the checkers. Each player has 15 checkers. Place 2 checkers on each players twenty-four point, 5 on each players thirteen point, 3 on each players 8 point and 5 on each players 6 point.
- 3
  Understand the object of the game. The aim is to move all your checkers to your home board then bear them off. The first player to bear off all her checkers wins.
- 4
  Learn how to move the checkers. Players decide who goes first by rolling a single dice. The players then role two dice to decide how far they can move their checkers. Each dice is separate and moves a different checker. Checkers can only be moved to an open point, this is a point that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers. If a player roles doubles then he can move the number on the die twice. For example, if a player roles 2 fours, then they have 4 fours to use. A player must move when possible; if they can't then they lose their turn.
- 5
  Learn how to hit and enter. If a checker lands on a point that has only 1 opposing checker on it then the opponent's checker is placed on the bar in the middle of the board. The opponent must then roll to move his checker from the bar to the other player's home board if the number of the point he roles is free. If it is not free he forfeits his turn.
- 6
  Learn how to bear off. When a player has all 15 of their checkers in their home board then they can start to bear off. To do this they must role a number which corresponds to the point their checkers are on. If they do this then they can bear off a check from this point. When all of one player's checkers have been removed from play he wins the game.

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