Backgammon
The classic race-and-hit dice game. Roll, bring your fifteen checkers home, hit the computer's blots and bear off first. Four difficulty levels, pass-and-play and a daily dice challenge. No ads, no sign-in.
Roll to start. You play the light checkers, moving toward your home board at the bottom right.
Tap a point with your checker, then a highlighted point (or the tray at the right to bear off). Light moves counter-clockwise to the bottom right.
How to play Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games still played — a race with dice in which each player moves fifteen checkers around a board of 24 points and tries to bear them all off first. You play the light checkers and move toward your home board at the bottom right; the computer plays the dark checkers the opposite way round. Each turn you roll two dice and move one checker by each number, or one checker by both. Roll a double and you play that number four times.
You may land on any point that is empty, holds your own checkers, or holds a single opposing checker — a blot. Landing on a blot hits it: it goes to the bar in the middle and must re-enter in its owner's starting area before they can move anything else. A point with two or more opposing checkers is blocked. Once all fifteen of your checkers are in your home board you start bearing them off, using the dice to take them off the board; the first player to bear off every checker wins.
Rules this version enforces
- You must use both dice whenever you can; if you can play only one, and either would do, you must play the higher.
- A checker on the bar must re-enter before any other move.
- When bearing off, a die higher than any checker's distance may be used on your farthest checker.
Tips
- Make points — two checkers together are safe and block your opponent.
- Avoid leaving blots within six pips of an opposing checker when you can.
- When you are well ahead in the race, stop hitting and just run home.
Frequently asked questions
Is Backgammon free here?
Yes — it plays free in your browser with no ads, no sign-in, and nothing to install.
Can two people play?
Yes — pick 2 players and pass the device between turns.
What is the daily game?
Everyone gets the same dice rolls today, so how you use them is what you compare.
