🎲 Backgammon Online

About Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games, with origins dating back nearly 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. This classic two-player strategy game combines skill, tactics, and a dash of luck through dice rolls, creating an engaging experience that has captivated players for millennia. Our free online version brings this timeless game to your browser with three AI difficulty levels, perfect rules implementation, and an intuitive interface.

The game's beauty lies in its elegant balance between strategic planning and tactical adaptation. While the dice introduce an element of chance, skilled players consistently outperform beginners through superior position evaluation, timing decisions, and risk management. Whether you're a complete novice or an experienced player, our Backgammon game offers the perfect platform to enjoy this ancient pastime.

How to Play Backgammon

Game Setup and Objective

Backgammon is played on a board with 24 narrow triangles called "points." Each player starts with 15 checkers (pieces) positioned in a specific formation. The objective is simple: be the first player to move all your checkers around the board and bear them off (remove them from the board).

Initial Setup:

• Each player has 15 checkers of their color (typically black and white)
• Player's checkers start in specific positions: 2 on point 24, 5 on point 13, 3 on point 8, and 5 on point 6
• AI's checkers mirror this setup from their perspective
• Players move in opposite directions around the board
• Player moves counter-clockwise (from point 24 toward point 1)
• AI moves clockwise (from point 1 toward point 24)

Basic Rules

Rolling and Moving:

1. Click "Roll Dice" to begin your turn
2. You receive two dice values (e.g., 3 and 5)
3. If you roll doubles (same number on both dice), you get to use that number four times
4. Click a checker to see where it can move (highlighted in green)
5. Click the destination point to complete the move
6. You must use both dice if possible; if only one die can be used, you must use the higher number

Hitting and Entering:

• If you land on a point occupied by a single opponent checker (a "blot"), you "hit" it
• Hit checkers are placed on the "bar" (the middle divider)
• When you have checkers on the bar, you must enter them before making any other moves
• To enter, you must roll a number corresponding to an open point in your opponent's home board
• If you cannot enter all checkers on the bar, you forfeit your remaining moves

Bearing Off:

• Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1-6 for the player), you can start bearing off
• Bearing off means removing checkers from the board entirely
• If you roll a 5, you can bear off a checker from point 5
• If the rolled number is higher than your highest occupied point, you can bear off from the highest point
• If you can't bear off with a die, you must make a legal move within your home board
• The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game

Controls

Desktop:

• Click "Roll Dice" to roll at the start of your turn
• Click on your checker to select it (highlighted checkers can move)
• Click on a highlighted destination point to move
• Click "Undo Move" to take back your last move
• Click "New Game" to start fresh
• Select AI difficulty before starting a new game

Mobile/Tablet:

• Tap "Roll Dice" to roll
• Tap your checker to select
• Tap destination point to move
• Swipe or pinch to zoom if needed
• All button controls work via touch

Backgammon Strategy Guide

Opening Strategy

The opening moves in backgammon set the tone for the entire game. Strong opening play focuses on establishing anchor points in your opponent's board, building blocking points in your home board, and avoiding leaving vulnerable blots.

Middle Game Tactics

The middle game requires adaptability and positional understanding. Key concepts include:

• Pip Count Management: Track the pip count (total spaces your checkers must travel) to evaluate your position. If you're ahead in the pip count, consider a running game. If behind, look for chances to hit and slow your opponent.
• Timing: Sometimes it's better to wait rather than rush forward. Maintain checkers in strategic positions to maximize future roll effectiveness.
• Anchor Strategy: Advanced anchors (in your opponent's home board) provide defensive security but can become liabilities in races. Know when to abandon anchors and run.
• Prime Building: A prime (6 consecutive made points) completely blocks your opponent's movement. Even a 4-point or 5-point prime severely restricts opponent options.
• Splitting vs. Slotting: Splitting (dividing checkers to create flexibility) and slotting (intentionally leaving blots to make points) are advanced techniques requiring judgment about risk vs. reward.

Endgame and Bearing Off

The bear-off phase often determines the winner. Efficient bearing off requires understanding optimal checker distribution:

• Even Distribution: Spread checkers evenly across your home board to minimize wasted pips on high rolls
• Avoid Gaps: Gaps in your home board (empty points) waste dice rolls. Try to maintain checkers on all six home board points until late in the bear-off
• High Point Priority: When possible, bear off from higher points first, as this reduces your pip count most efficiently
• Calculate Probability: In close races, calculate how many rolls you need to bear off all checkers and compare with your opponent's position
• Closed Board Advantage: If your opponent has checkers on the bar and you have a closed board (all 6 home points made), you can bear off freely while they cannot move

Advanced Concepts

The Doubling Cube:

While our online version focuses on single-point games, understanding the doubling cube is crucial for serious backgammon play. The doubling cube allows players to raise the stakes during the game. Proper cube action requires evaluating winning chances, gammon threats, and position volatility. Learning when to double, take, or drop is what separates advanced players from intermediates.

Match Equity:

In match play (first to reach a certain number of points), decisions change based on the current score. A move that's correct in money play might be wrong in match play, and vice versa. Match equity tables help determine the value of winning or losing the current game based on the match score.

Positional Classes:

• Running Game: Both players race with minimal contact. The player ahead in the pip count usually wins. Focus on efficient movement and bearing off.
• Blitz: One player attacks aggressively, trying to close their home board while the opponent has checkers on the bar. Requires bold hitting and rapid point-making.
• Holding Game: One player holds an anchor in the opponent's home board while trailing in a race, hoping to hit a shot and turn the game around.
• Prime vs. Prime: Both players build blocking primes to trap opponent checkers. The player who can maintain their prime longer while escaping their own trapped checkers usually wins.
• Back Game: A player with multiple anchors in their opponent's home board hopes to hit checkers late in the game. Very risky but can win from apparently lost positions.

AI Difficulty Levels

Easy Mode - Perfect for Beginners

The Easy AI makes random legal moves, giving beginners a chance to learn the rules and basic strategies without facing challenging opposition. This mode is ideal for:

• Learning how checkers move and which moves are legal
• Understanding hitting, entering from the bar, and bearing off
• Practicing without time pressure or strategic complexity
• Building confidence before facing tougher opponents

Medium Mode - Tactical Challenge

The Medium AI uses tactical evaluation to make reasonable moves. It considers:

• Hitting opponent blots when possible
• Making points (placing two or more checkers on a point)
• Building home board points for defensive strength
• Basic pip count awareness
• Avoiding leaving unnecessary blots

Medium difficulty provides good practice for intermediate players developing their positional understanding and tactical awareness.

Hard Mode - Advanced Strategy

The Hard AI employs sophisticated evaluation including:

• Advanced pip count analysis and race evaluation
• Positional assessment (prime building, anchor value, connectivity)
• Hitting probability calculation based on board position
• Strategic planning (when to run, when to hold, when to attack)
• Opponent threat recognition and defensive play
• Efficient bear-off techniques

Hard mode challenges experienced players and demonstrates high-level backgammon strategy. Beating the Hard AI consistently indicates solid backgammon skills.

History of Backgammon

Ancient Origins

Backgammon is one of humanity's oldest board games, with archaeological evidence suggesting gameplay dating back nearly 5,000 years. The Royal Game of Ur, discovered in Iraq and dated to 2600 BCE, used a similar board and dice-based movement system. Ancient Egyptians played Senet (around 3100 BCE), another ancestor of modern backgammon.

The Romans played a game called "Tabula" or "Tables," which closely resembles modern backgammon. Tabula boards and pieces have been found throughout the Roman Empire, and the Emperor Claudius was known to be an enthusiastic player who even wrote a book about the game.

Medieval Development

During the Middle Ages, backgammon spread throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with regional variations developing distinct rules and names. The game was popular among nobility and commoners alike, often played in taverns, courts, and homes.

The name "backgammon" itself likely derives from Middle English "baec" (back) and "gamen" (game), possibly referring to the re-entry of hit checkers. The doubling cube, now an integral part of serious backgammon play, wasn't invented until the 1920s in New York City gambling circles.

Modern Renaissance

Backgammon experienced a major revival in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in the United States. The formation of backgammon clubs, the publication of strategy books by pioneers like Paul Magriel ("Backgammon" in 1976), and the introduction of tournament play elevated the game from a casual pastime to a competitive pursuit.

The World Backgammon Championship, first held in Las Vegas in 1967, continues annually and attracts the world's best players. Prize pools can exceed $500,000, and the game has a sophisticated competitive scene with rankings, circuits, and professional players.

Computer Era and Online Play

The development of powerful backgammon programs, particularly TD-Gammon in the early 1990s (which used neural networks and self-play to reach expert level), revolutionized backgammon understanding. These programs revealed previously unknown strategic concepts and improved the play of top humans.

Modern backgammon bots like GNU Backgammon and eXtreme Gammon play at superhuman levels, and their analysis has become essential for serious players studying the game. Online backgammon platforms have made it possible to find opponents 24/7, participate in tournaments, and learn from players worldwide.

Cognitive Benefits of Backgammon

Strategic Thinking Development

Backgammon enhances strategic thinking through its requirement to plan several moves ahead while adapting to changing circumstances. Players must evaluate multiple potential futures based on different dice rolls, developing the ability to:

• Assess probabilities and make risk-reward decisions
• Plan long-term strategies while remaining tactically flexible
• Recognize patterns and apply learned concepts to new positions
• Balance offensive and defensive considerations simultaneously

Mathematical Skills

Regular backgammon play strengthens mathematical abilities including:

• Probability Calculation: Understanding dice roll probabilities (e.g., there are 36 possible dice combinations, 11 of which contain a 6)
• Pip Counting: Mental arithmetic to calculate and compare pip counts
• Combinatorics: Evaluating multiple move sequences and their relative merits
• Expected Value: Weighing different options based on their likely outcomes

Decision Making Under Uncertainty

Backgammon teaches valuable lessons about decision-making when outcomes aren't guaranteed. Unlike chess or Go where perfect information exists, backgammon requires making the best possible decision given incomplete information about future dice rolls. This mirrors many real-world scenarios where we must choose wisely despite uncertainty.

Emotional Control and Resilience

The dice element in backgammon means even perfect play doesn't guarantee victory. Players learn to:

• Accept bad luck gracefully and maintain focus
• Avoid "tilt" (emotional responses that lead to poor decisions)
• Recognize that short-term results don't reflect long-term skill
• Make optimal decisions regardless of previous outcomes

Competitive Backgammon

Tournament Structure

Backgammon tournaments typically use match play format where the first player to reach a predetermined number of points (commonly 5, 7, 9, or more in later rounds) wins. Points are scored based on:

• Single Game: 1 point (winner bore off all checkers, loser bore off at least one)
• Gammon: 2 points (winner bore off all checkers, loser hasn't borne off any)
• Backgammon: 3 points (gammon where loser still has checkers in winner's home board or on the bar)

Rating Systems

Competitive backgammon uses rating systems similar to chess:

• USBGF (US Backgammon Federation): Uses a points-based system where players earn points in sanctioned tournaments
• ELO-based Systems: Some online platforms and organizations use ELO or similar rating algorithms
• PR (Performance Rating): Measures how many points per game a player loses compared to perfect play, calculated using computer analysis

Famous Players

The backgammon world has produced many legendary players including:

• Paul Magriel (1946-2014): "X-22" revolutionized backgammon theory with his 1976 book
• Bill Robertie: Two-time World Champion and prolific author
• Nack Ballard: Renowned theorist known for innovative positional concepts
• Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki: Japanese superstar with multiple major championships
• Falafel Natanzon: Modern era champion known for aggressive play

Tips for Improving Your Backgammon Game

1. Study Opening Theory: Learn standard responses to common opening rolls. Books like "501 Essential Backgammon Problems" provide systematic opening study.
2. Practice Pip Counting: Develop the ability to quickly calculate pip counts. Start by counting groups of checkers and adding them together.
3. Analyze Your Games: Review games with computer analysis (GNU Backgammon is free) to identify mistakes and understand better moves.
4. Learn from Stronger Players: Watch expert commentary videos, read strategy articles, and if possible, find a mentor or join a backgammon club.
5. Understand Position Types: Study the fundamental position types (running game, blitz, holding game, prime vs. prime, back game) and their key principles.
6. Play Regularly: Like any skill, backgammon improves with practice. Play often to develop pattern recognition and intuition.
7. Focus on Decisions, Not Results: Evaluate the quality of your decisions, not just whether you won. Good decisions sometimes lead to losses due to dice variance.
8. Study Probability: Understanding dice roll probabilities transforms your game. Know the odds of hitting blots, entering from the bar, and rolling specific numbers.

Backgammon vs Other Classic Board Games