DoYouFeelLucky?

ABeginnersGuidetoBackgammon

TheAimoftheGame

Backgammonisaboardgamefor2players.Theobjectofthegameistoremoveall
yourcheckersorstonesfromtheboard,thisisknownasbearingoff.Thefirstplayer
tobearoffalloftheirstoneswinsthegame.

SetUp

Backgammonisplayedonaboardconsistingof24points.Thepointsalternatein
colorandaregroupedinto4quadrantsof6triangleseach.Thequadrantsare
referredtoasaplayer'shomeboardandouterboard,andtheopponent'shome
boardandouterboard,thehomeandouterboardsareseparatedfromeachother
byaridgedownthecenteroftheboardcalledthebar.
Thepointsarenumberedforeitherplayerstartinginthatplayer'shomeboard.The
outermostpointisthe24point,whichisalsotheopponent'sonepoint.Eachplayer
has15checkersofhisowncolorthat,atthestartofthegame,arearrangedasper
figure1.Bothplayershavetheirownpairofdiceandadicecupusedforshaking.

Figure1.Aboardwiththestonesintheir
initialposition.

StartersOrders
Tostartthegame,eachplayerthrowsasingledie.Thisdeterminesboththeplayer
togofirstandthenumberstobeplayed.Ifequalnumberscomeup,thenboth
playersrollagainuntiltheyrolldifferentnumbers.Theplayerthrowingthehigher
numbernowmoveshisstonesaccordingtothenumbersshowingonbothdice.After
thefirstroll,theplayersthrow2diceandalternateturns.


Figure2.Directionofmovementof
White'sstones.Red'sstonesmovein
theoppositedirection

Therollofthediceindicateshowmanypoints,orpips,theplayeristomovehis
stones,seefigure2.Thestonesarealwaysmovedforward,toalowernumbered
point.Thefollowingrulesapply:
1. Acheckermaybemovedonlytoanopenpoint,onethatisnotoccupiedby
twoormoreopposingcheckers.
2. Thenumbersonthe2diceconstituteseparatemoves.Forexample,ifa
playerrolls5and3,hemaymove1stone5spacestoanopenpointand
anotherstone3spacestoanopenpoint,orhemaymovethe1stoneatotal
of8spacestoanopenpoint,butonlyiftheintermediatepoint(either3or5
spacesfromthestartingpoint)isalsoopen,seefig3.
3. Aplayerwhorollsdoublesplaysthenumbersshownonthedicetwice.Aroll
of6and6meansthattheplayerhas4sixestouse,andhemaymoveany
combinationofcheckershefeelsappropriatetocompletethisrequirement.
4. Aplayermustusebothnumbersofarollifthisislegallypossible(orall4
numbersofadouble).Whenonly1numbercanbeplayed,theplayermust
playthatnumber.Orifeithernumbercanbeplayedbutnotboth,theplayer
mustplaythelargerone.Whenneithernumbercanbeused,theplayerloses
histurn.Inthecaseofdoubles,whenall4numberscannotbeplayed,the
playermustplayasmanynumbersashecan.

Figure3.2waysthatWhitecanplaya
rollof

HittheBlot
Apointoccupiedbyasinglecheckerofeithercoloriscalledablot.Ifanopposing
stonelandsonablot,theblotishitandplacedonthebar.Anytimeaplayerhasone
ormorestonesonthebar,hisfirstobligationistoenterthosestones(s)intothe
opposinghomeboard.Astoneisenteredbymovingittoanopenpoint
correspondingtooneofthenumbersontherolleddice,seefigure4.Forexample,if
aplayerrolls4and6,hemayenterastoneontoeithertheopponent's4pointor6
point,solongastheprospectivepointisnotoccupiedby2ormoreofthe
opponent'sstones.Ifneitherofthepointsisopen,theplayerloseshisturn.Ifa
playerisabletoentersomebutnotallofhisstones,hemustenterasmanyashe
canandthenforfeittheremainderofhisturn.Afterthelastofaplayer'sstoneshas
beenentered,anyunusednumbersonthedicemustbeplayed,bymovingeither
thestonethatwasenteredoradifferentstone.

Figure 4. If White rolls

with a
stone on the bar, he must enter the stones
onto Red's 4 point since Red's 6 point is
not open.

BearingOff
Onceaplayerhasmovedallofhis15stonesintohishomeboard,hemay
commencebearingoff.Aplayerbearsoffastonebyrollinganumberthat
correspondstothepointonwhichthestoneresides,andthenremovingthatstone
fromtheboard.Thus,rollinga6permitstheplayertoremoveastonefromthe6
point.Ifthereisnostoneonthepointindicatedbytheroll,theplayermustmakea
legalmoveusingacheckeronahighernumberedpoint.Iftherearenostoneson
highernumberedpoints,theplayerispermitted(andrequired)toremoveastone
fromthehighestpointonwhichoneofhisstonesresides.Aplayerisunderno
obligationtobearoffifhecanmakeanotherwiselegalmove.Aplayermusthaveall
ofhisactivestonesinhishomeboardinordertobearoff.Ifastoneishitduringthe
bearoffprocess,theplayermustbringthatstonebacktohishomeboardbefore
continuingtobearoff.Thefirstplayertobearoffall15stoneswinsthegame.
Doubling
Backgammonisplayedforanagreedstakeperpoint.Eachgamestartsatonepoint.
Duringthecourseofthegame,aplayerwhofeelshehasasufficientadvantagemay
proposedoublingthestakes.Hemaydothisonlyatthestartofhisownturnand
beforehehasrolledthedice.

Aplayerwhoisofferedadoublemayrefuse,inwhichcaseheconcedesthegame
andpaysonepoint.Otherwise,hemustacceptthedoubleandplayonforthenew
higherstakes.Aplayerwhoacceptsadoublebecomestheownerofthecubeand
onlyhemaymakethenextdouble.

Subsequentdoublesinthesamegamearecalledredoubles.Ifaplayerrefusesa
redouble,hemustpaythenumberofpointsthatwereatstakepriortothe
redouble.Otherwise,hebecomesthenewownerofthecubeandthegame
continuesattwicethepreviousstakes.Thereisnolimittothenumberofredoubles
inagame.

GammonsandBackgammons

Attheendofthegame,ifthelosingplayerhasborneoffatleastonestone,heloses
onlythevalueshowingonthedoublingcube(onepoint,iftherehavebeenno
doubles).However,iftheloserhasnotborneoffanyofhisstones,heisgammoned
andlosestwicethevalueofthedoublingcube.Or,worse,iftheloserhasnotborne
offanyofhisstonesandstillhasastoneonthebarorinthewinner'shomeboard,
heisbackgammonedandlosesthreetimesthevalueofthedoublingcube.

OptionalRules

Thefollowingoptionalrulesareinwidespreaduse.
1.
Automaticdoubles.Ifidenticalnumbersarethrownonthefirstroll,the
stakesaredoubled.Thedoublingcubeisturnedto2andremainsinthemiddle.
Playersusuallyagreetolimitthenumberofautomaticdoublestoonepergame.
2.
Beavers.Whenaplayerisdoubled,hemayimmediatelyredouble(beaver)
whileretainingpossessionofthecube.Theoriginaldoublerhastheoptionof
acceptingorrefusingaswithanormaldouble.
3.
TheJacobyRule.Gammonsandbackgammonscountonlyasasinglegameif
neitherplayerhasofferedadoubleduringthecourseofthegame.Thisrulespeeds
upplaybyeliminatingsituationswhereaplayeravoidsdoublingsohecanplayon
foragammon.

Irregularities

1.
Thedicemustberolledtogetherandlandflatonthesurfaceoftheright
handsectionoftheboard.Theplayermustrerollbothdiceifadielandsoutsidethe
righthandboard,orlandsonachecker,ordoesnotlandflat.
2.
Aturniscompletedwhentheplayerpicksuphisdice.Iftheplayis
incompleteorotherwiseillegal,theopponenthastheoptionofacceptingtheplayas
madeorofrequiringtheplayertomakealegalplay.Aplayisdeemedtohavebeen
acceptedasmadewhentheopponentrollshisdiceoroffersadoubletostarthis
ownturn.

3.
Ifaplayerrollsbeforehisopponenthascompletedhisturnbypickingupthe
dice,theplayer'srollisvoided.Thisruleisgenerallywaivedanytimeaplayisforced
orwhenthereisnofurthercontactbetweentheopposingforces.
HowtoWin

Backgammonplayingmembersoffertheirexpertadvice.

Bedaring!don'talwaysgoforthesafeoptionleavesinglepiecesouttomake
'bridges'or'builders'especiallyintheearlystagesofthegamewhenyouropponent
hasnotfilledhishomeboard.IanStuart

Asimpletacticforbeginnersistoavoiddirecthits.Ifyoumustleaveasinglestone
onapoint,whichcouldthenbehit,leaveitatleast7ormorepointsawayfromyour
opponentsneareststone.JustinSilver
Thinkcarefullyabouteveryplaybeforeyoumakeitdon'tplayonautopilot.George
Jacobs
Onceyougetbeyondabsolutebeginneryoucanbeatanybodyinasinglegame,over
aseriesofgamesabetterplayershouldprevail,butoveroneortwopointsanyone
canwin,sobeconfident. JustinSilver

Anexpertoncesaidtome'nevertakeaknifetoagunfight'inotherwordsifyouare
behindintherace,don'trun.IanStuart

ProbablythemosthelpfultipI'velearnedistonotbeafraidofleavingblotsand
playingyourowngame.Ifindoubtputpieceswhereyouwantthemandwhere
they'llbemostuseful,riskingtheoddhithereorthereisworthit.JustinSilver

GetLucky.TonySteward
Mytoptipisthatifyouareplayingformoney,makesurethatyouareabetter
playerthanyouropponent.Thisisprettymuchaguaranteedwinningstrategyinthe
longrun.GeorgeJacobs
Playattheclub!

ThebackgammonsectionmeeteveryTuesdayintheClubRoomat7.00pm.
Everyoneiswelcome.Formoreinformationgoto
www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/backgammonoremail:
backgammon@royalautomobileclub.co.uk