Backgammon Basics

Backgammon has been with mankind for more than 5000 years. To play Backgammon, one should have the game skill as well as a good hand with the dice as well as be aware of the basics of Backgammon. Without the basic idea about this game of Backgammon, as well as flexibility and adaptability, we would be lost and we cannot efficiently react to the randomness of the dice.

Once the basic principles of Backgammon and ideals regarding this game are clear in our minds, we learn to assess each game we would play and will also learn to define our goals. In this manner, over a period of time by refining and perfecting of styles, we can eventually develop a strategy to achieve theses goals.

The game of Backgammon is generally meant to be played by two opponents. The gaming board consists of two rows of 12 triangles, known as ‘points’ that are made in two different colors and placed alternatively. When the game starts, each player would get 15 checkers each that would be either red or white in color. Apart from these triangles, the game board is again divided into 2x2 areas, a home and an outer board for every player. The mid part of the board called the bar is where the players put the checkers.

In backgammon, the dice used generally is one pair for each player along with a dice cup. Apart from these essential basics of backgammon, the doubling dice used to track the stake of the game have faces with numbers 2,4,8,16,32 and 64. The game starts when both players roll the dices and the player whose dices add up to make a bigger total would begin. Just in case both players throw a double, then again the player with the biggest double opens the game. In certain cases, only one dice is thrown and the game starts.

Once the game has started, the checkers are moved corresponding to the result of the points received as the outcome of each throw by the players. On each throw, the checker is moved according to the number that is shown on the dice. Just suppose you throw 5-6, one checker would go 5 positions and the other would go 6 positions. And the player who throws a double can move four checkers. Always, the checker movement is from the higher number to the lower points. But it should be noted that you can move the checkers only to an open point, which is an empty point or one which has only one checker of the opponent.

A 'blot' is when you hit your opponent's checkers if there is only one checker in it. A 'hit' happens when you land in your opponent's point on your way home. The game is brought to a conclusion by bearing off all your checkers if they are in your home board area. This is done by rolling the dice and taking off the checker that is placed on the point corresponding to the numbers shown on the up side of the dice.