Backgammon - Friendly Using Simplified Scoring

Backgammon is a dice game played on a board. It combines skill and luck. Its origin is unknown, but a game layout similar to modern layouts has been identified, dating back 5,000 years.

The board is illustrated here, with each player having 15 counters and two dice. The doubling dice is not used in this version of the game.

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME

Each player takes turns moving their counters based on the dice they throw into their inner table. Once they are all there, they are removed from play again based on the dice throws. The winner is the first to remove all of their counters.

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

White moves anti-clockwise from Black’s inner table through Black’s outer table, across to their outer table, and into their inner table. Black moves clockwise, so in the opposite direction.

TO PLAY BACKGAMMON

DICE

Each player casts a single die to determine who has the first move. The player with the highest cast moves first and chooses their colour, Black or White (other colour counters may be used).

The value of two dice cast by players is used for all subsequent moves.

Any dice not laying flat within the board must be cast again.

MOVING COUNTERS

Counting begins on the point next to the one on which a counter rests in the direction of play.

A counter is played when the correct number of points are deposited on an empty point or one containing counters of the same colour. Numbers on both dice must be played if possible. There is no limit to the number of counters of the same colour at any point.

A point with two or more men is blocked against an opponent, although it may be jumped. Please look at BLOTS below for actions if a single opponent counter can be landed on. When a player cannot move because of blocked points, he loses the value of that dice.

When the two dice cast have the same value, they count as Doublets, meaning the value cast can be used four times. This allows the moving of four counters once, one counter four times, or any other combination of moves.

BLOTS

A single counter resting on a point is a Blot; an opponent with the proper throw may (not compulsory) play a man to the blot, and the counter hit goes to the Bar and starts over. Two or more blots may be hit in one play.

A counter on the bar must renter in the opponent's inner table based on cast dice values before making another move. They cannot enter on a blocked point.

BEARING OFF (REMOVING COUNTERS FROM PLAY)

When either player succeeds in playing all their counters into their inner table, they remove counters from points corresponding to dice values thrown. Players can both move or remove counters as appropriate.

When removing counters, if a dice value point is empty, the dice value can only be used to move a higher-value counter further onto the inner table; if a high value is thrown and there are no higher-value points containing counters, then a counter from the next highest remaining point should be removed.

If a blot is hit while removing counters, it goes to the bar and must reenter as usual, travelling all around the board to the inner table before more counters can be removed from play.

CHOUETTE: For more than two players. (Not played in this group)

DOUBLING: After the original stake has been agreed upon, it is doubled as follows (Not played in this group)

SCORING: As Chouette and Doubling are not played in this group, a simplified scoring system is used to allow a variable number of games and multiple boards to score consistently towards a single winner across a group playing session.

The player who successfully removed all of their counters from the board scores points as follows:
3 Points - The opponent still has counters in the winner's inner table or on the bar;
2 Points - The opponent still has counters within either outer table;
1 Point - The opponent only has counters in their inner table, although some may have been removed from play.

Scores are recorded for each player at the end of each game, and the highest-scoring player is declared the winner at the end of the session. If some players have completed fewer games, then this lesser number is the final game counted towards the final score for all players. If appropriate, different scorecards may be kept for beginners and experienced players.

Last Updated on 12th December 2024