How to Set Up the Pieces in Backgammon

Lay out the backgammon board and prepare the pieces for set up. The board should be laid out with the long triangles pointing away from you, as opposed to pointing left to right in front of you.

Count all of the pieces to make sure that you have 15 pieces of one color and 15 pieces of another color. Some games may use varying colors, but there should only be two colors with one being noticeably darker than the other. One player will use only one while the other player will use only the other color. You will first set up all of the pieces on the side nearest to you.

The board consists of 24 triangles with 12 on each side. Starting with the triangle to the far right on the side closest to you, place two pieces of one color in a line. The pieces should be touching and follow the length of the triangle.

Next move to the sixth triangle from the right and place five pieces of the other color. The pieces will use the same arrangement as the first triangle with the pieces touching and following the length of the triangle.

You will next move to the eighth triangle from the right (fifth triangle from the left) and place three pieces using the same color as on the sixth triangle.

Now move to the farthest triangle to the left (twelfth triangle from the right) on the side closest to you and place five pieces using the same color as on the first triangle.

On the opposite side of the board, you will place pieces on triangles directly across from those on your side. Use the same number of pieces as you did on your side but use the opposite color. Both sides should now have pieces on triangles starting from your right in the arrangement of two, five, three and five. Triangles directly across from each other will have the same number of pieces but with different colors.