Backgammon
Board Games · 9 specs
Direct Answer
Backgammon is a two-player racing and strategy board game played on a 24-point board with 15 checkers per player and a doubling cube. Players move checkers around the board based on dice rolls to bear them off. Official World Backgammon Federation (WBF) rules govern doubling cube progression (2 to 64), re-entry from the bar, and Gammon (2x) vs Backgammon (3x) victory multipliers.
Source: World Backgammon Federation (WBF) Official Rules 2023 · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Governing Body | World Backgammon Federation (WBF) |
| Board Structure | 24 triangular points (pips) divided into 4 quadrants |
| Checkers Per Player | 15 checkers (Black vs White) |
| Doubling Cube Values | 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 wager multiplier |
| Blot Rule | Single isolated checker on a point can be hit and sent to bar |
| Bearing Off Prerequisite | All 15 checkers inside Home Board points 1 through 6 |
| Single Win Payout | 1 × Stake loser bore off at least 1 checker |
| Gammon Payout | 2 × Stake loser bore off 0 checkers |
| Backgammon Payout | 3 × Stake loser bore off 0 checkers and has checker on bar/opponent home |
Board Setup & Movement Rules
Each player begins with 15 checkers arranged on the 24 points: 2 on Point 24, 5 on Point 13, 3 on Point 8, and 5 on Point 6. Players roll two dice and move their checkers in opposite directions toward their Home Board (Points 1–6).
- Rolling Doubles: Rolling identical numbers (e.g., 4-4) allows the player to play that number FOUR times (four moves of 4).
- Blocked Points: A point occupied by two or more enemy checkers is 'made' and blocked; your checkers cannot land there.
Hitting Blots & Re-Entering from the Bar
A single lone checker on a point is called a 'blot'. If an opponent lands on that point, the blot is 'hit' and placed onto the center ridge ('the bar'):
- A player with one or more checkers on the bar CANNOT move any other checker on the board until all checkers on the bar have re-entered through the opponent's home board.
- If the rolled numbers correspond to blocked points in the opponent's home board, the player forfeits their entire turn.
The Doubling Cube Mechanics
Before rolling on their turn, a player may propose to double the current game stake:
- The opponent must either Accept (taking ownership of the cube at 2x) or Drop (forfeiting the game immediately at 1x).
- Only the player who accepted the last double has the right to redouble next (to 4x, 8x, etc.).
Bearing Off & Victory Multipliers
Once all 15 of a player's checkers have arrived inside their Home Board (Points 1–6), the player may begin 'bearing off' (removing checkers from the board) according to rolled dice.
- Normal Win (1x): Loser has borne off at least one checker.
- Gammon (2x): Loser has borne off ZERO checkers.
- Backgammon (3x): Loser has borne off ZERO checkers AND still has at least one checker on the bar or in the winner's home board.