How to Play Backgammon : The Object of the Game of Backgammon
Learn about the object of the game in backgammon in this free how-to lesson on how to play backgammon, the board game.
The object of the game of backgammon is to be the first player to bear off all of your checkers from the board. This is accomplished by moving your checkers around the board based on the rolls of two dice.
At the beginning of the game, each player places their checkers on the board in a specific arrangement. The checkers are placed on the points of the board, which are the triangles that make up the playing surface. Each player has 15 checkers in total.
The game begins with each player rolling one die. The player with the higher roll moves first. The players take turns rolling two dice and moving their checkers accordingly. The rolls of the dice determine how many points the player can move their checkers. For example, if a player rolls a 4 and a 3, they can either move one checker 4 spaces and another checker 3 spaces or they can move one checker a total of 7 spaces.
The goal of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board and into your home board, which is the last quarter of the board. Once all of your checkers are in your home board, you can begin bearing them off the board. To bear off a checker, you must roll a number that matches the point on which that checker is located. For example, if a checker is located on the 3-point, you must roll a 3 in order to bear that checker off the board.
In addition to moving their checkers around the board, players can also block their opponent’s moves by occupying points on the board with multiple checkers. This can prevent the opponent from moving their checkers and can allow the player to gain an advantage.
The game can be played for a predetermined number of points or for a set number of games. The player who achieves the predetermined point or game total first wins the match.