Backgammon

Backgammon is a two-player board game in which players move checkers around a board according to dice rolls, with the aim of bearing off all of one’s checkers before the opponent. The game traces its lineage to ancient Mesopotamian and other early games, and its modern form took shape in Europe, with organized competition expanding in the 20th century. The name likely reflects historical phrases related to back games or plays, though its exact origin is uncertain.

The game uses a board with four quadrants and 24 narrow triangles called points. Each player has 15 checkers and a pair of dice, plus a doubling cube used to raise stakes. At the start, each side has two checkers on the 24-point, five on the 13-point, three on the 8-point, and five on the 6-point, arranged opposite the opponent.

During a turn, a player rolls two dice and may move up to two or four checks according to the dice values. A checker may move to an open point or one occupied by friendly checkers. Landing on a point occupied by a single opposing checker hits it, sending that checker to the bar. A checker on the bar must re-enter on the opponent’s home board before any other moves. When all of a player’s checkers are in the home board, bearing off is allowed: a checker may be removed based on the dice value, with additional rules for exact or near-exact rolls.

The game ends when a player bears off all their checkers. If the opponent has not borne off any checkers, the win is a gammon; if the opponent has bears some on the bar or in the winner’s home board, the win is a backgammon. The doubling cube allows players to raise the stakes by offering a double, which the opponent may accept or decline.