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Backgammon

Backgammon is a two-player board game in which each side moves 15 checkers by dice rolls into its home board and then bears them off. Strategy, probability, hitting, blocking, pip count and the doubling cube shape play.

LevelMain sport FamilyMind Sport CategoryMind sport

Representative sports image for Backgammon — Donald Olszewski · CC BY 4.0 · Image source

Classification

Category Mind sport

Family Mind Sport

Level Main sport

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung Backgammon is a tactical dice board game for two players with racing, blocking and risk decisions.

Geeignet für Suitable for people who like short games, probabilities, duels and a mix of luck and strategy.

Cost Low: a simple board or online app is enough for entry. Low to medium depending on club, event entry, quality board or online analysis. Backgammon club, board-game meetup, online platform or national federation. Learn the doubling cube after basic moves, bar and bearing off.

First progress A first game is possible immediately; solid decisions require many reviewed games.

Fitness level low

Was du brauchst

backgammon board
30 checkers
dice
doubling cube
opponent or online platform
basic rules

First steps

learn starting setup
understand movement direction and open points
practise hitting and re-entry
play bearing off
then add the doubling cube

At home, online app, backgammon club, board-game cafe, USBGF/UKBGF/WBGF-adjacent tournament calendars.

As a table game it is physically low risk; for money/stake play agree limits and local rules clearly.

Weitere Angaben

Tags team, backgammon, mind-sport, denksport

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

Move all your checkers into your home board and bear them off before the opponent.

Teilnehmer

Two players.

Teamgröße

One-on-one duel.

Spielfeld

Backgammon board with 24 points, bar and home boards.

Dauer

Single game is short; tournament matches use target points and clock rules.

Wertung

Bearing off wins the game; cube, gammons and backgammons increase match points.

Gewinnbedingung

Bear off all 15 checkers first or reach the match target score.

Ausrüstung

board
30 checkers
dice
doubling cube

Wichtige Regelpunkte

illegal move
not using mandatory number
wrong setup
tournament etiquette breach
clock/dice rule breach

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

Backgammon Basics: How To Play U.S. Backgammon Federation · beginner-guide · high
Rules for In-Person Play U.S. Backgammon Federation · tournament-rules · high
How to Play Backgammon Backgammon Galaxy · blog-beginner-guide · medium
A Beginner's Introduction to Tournaments UK Backgammon Federation · beginner-tournament-guide · medium