Learning how to play backgammon is relatively easy, although building one’s skill takes time. The game does incorporate some luck, as there are dice involved, but player skill is the most important factor. Before you can become skilled, however, you will need to learn to play. Here, we’ll briefly go over some of the basic rules for how to play backgammon, so that you can get started becoming a great player.
Backgammon is played on a board made up of four quadrants, each of which is divided into six points. Players sit across from each other, with one side of the board representing the players’ home quadrants, and the other representing the “outer board.” Players start with their pieces in their opponent’s quadrant and must move them around the outer board into their own home quadrant in order to move them off the board. The first player to move all of his or her pieces off the board first wins the game.
Players take turns rolling two dice in order to move their pieces. Suppose player one rolls and gets a three and a five. He or she may move one piece three points, and another five points. He or she may also move a single piece eight points. Pieces may only land on a point that is either unoccupied, has at least one friendly piece on it, or has only one of the opponent’s pieces on it. If a player chooses to use both rolls on one piece, an intermediate point equal to the value of one of the rolls must be legal to land on.
If a player lands on a point that has a single piece belonging to the opponent, the opponent’s piece is sent back to the home quadrant and must begin again. Points with two or more friendly pieces on them are safe from capture. If a player rolls doubles, he or she may use each of the rolls twice. For example, if a player rolls two sixes, he or she may use four sixes total. Once a piece is in a player’s home field, he or she must move it off of the board, where it is safe.
You can learn how to play backgammon quickly and easily by downloading one of the many free applications for either a PC or even mobile device. There are plenty of websites devoted to the game, with many offering communities of veteran players who are glad to answer questions newcomers might have. There are also lots of opportunities to play online with friends, or with people from around the world. Backgammon is a rich game that offers a lot of depth and strategy, and over time you will begin to appreciate what made the ancient Romans and Greeks enjoy it so much.
