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Download the complete Backgammon guide
The PDF edition of this complete guide brings setup, core rules, scoring, the doubling cube, and advanced strategy together in one place.
ParokLand’s complete Backgammon guide
Learn the rules. Play with confidence.
From the opening setup and first roll to movement, hitting, entering from the bar, and bearing off — learn every essential rule step by step.
15 checkers per player
24 points on the board
Doubles = four moves
Standard guide
ParokLand
From dice to victory
Rules, practice, and sound decisions
Three essentials to start
Remember these three principles before you start
Backgammon combines decision-making, risk management, and the luck of the dice. Knowing the basics makes every move clearer.
From one player’s perspective
Play a complete Backgammon turn correctly
From checking the turn and offering a double to rolling, entering from the bar, choosing the order of moves, and ending the turn—this path explains the simple algorithm behind every turn.
1. Check the turn and the cube
Only the player whose turn it is may offer a double before rolling. The doubling cube is disabled in a Crawford game.
2. Roll valid dice
Both dice must be released together and stop inside the valid area with readable faces. If one die is invalid, both dice are rolled again.
3. Give the bar priority
If you have a checker on the bar, you must re-enter it into the opponent’s home board using the available dice. Other checkers cannot move while entry is possible.
4. Use the maximum legal moves
If both dice can be used, both must be played. If only one is possible, use it. If each die works alone but both cannot be used together, the higher die is mandatory.
5. Check bearing off and scoring
Bearing off starts only after all 15 checkers reach the home board. A normal win is one point, a gammon two, and a backgammon three.
6. Confirm the move and end the turn
Every landing must be legal and the final state is recorded by the server. If no legal move remains, the turn passes automatically.
Basic rules
Rules every player should know
These eight principles underpin every legal decision in the game room and are enforced by the server in every online match.
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1. The goal of the game
Each player has 15 checkers. Move them along your route, bring them into your home board, and bear them off before your opponent. The first player to bear off all checkers wins the game.
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2. The opening setup
The board has 24 points. Each player starts with four key stacks: 2 checkers on point 24, 5 on point 13, 3 on point 8, and 5 on point 6 for White; Black uses the mirrored direction.
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3. Deciding who starts
Both players roll one die. The higher roll starts, and the two opening numbers are used for the first turn. If the rolls tie, the opening roll is repeated.
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4. Moving checkers
Each die is a separate move. You may move two checkers separately or use both dice on one checker when each step is legal. A point with two or more opposing checkers is blocked. Doubles give four moves of the same value.
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5. Hitting and entering from the bar
A point with a single opposing checker can be hit, sending that checker to the central bar. A player with a checker on the bar must re-enter it before making any other move; if the entry point is blocked, that die cannot be used.
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6. Bearing off
Once all 15 checkers are in your home board, you may bear them off. An exact roll removes a checker from that point; a higher roll may remove a checker from the highest occupied point when no checker is farther away.
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7. Scoring and game results
A normal win is worth one point. If the opponent has borne off no checker, it can be a gammon worth two points; if the opponent still has a checker in your home board or on the bar, it is a backgammon worth three points.
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8. Matches, time, and the final result
In ParokLand online games, the board state and final result are checked by the server. Each player’s clock and turn limit follow the settings of that game; running out of time may be recorded as a loss. In tournaments, the server-recorded result is the final reference for the game and prize.
One step ahead
Once you know the rules, read the position
This section is about making better decisions, not memorising fixed moves. Learn to read race, contact, safety, and the value of each choice.
The bar and re-entry
A hit checker goes to the bar. Re-entry is made into the opponent’s home board according to the die. A point occupied by two or more opposing checkers blocks entry.
Bearing off without an illegal move
Bearing off is forbidden while a checker is outside the home board or on the bar. An exact die bears off from its point; a larger die may bear off from the farthest occupied point only when no checker is farther away.
Pip count: measuring the race
Pip count is the sum of each checker’s distance to bear off: point number multiplied by the checkers on that point. A lower count usually helps in a race, but blocks, bar checkers, and hitting chances also matter.
Four important positions
In a race, speed and distribution matter. In a blitz, build the home board and keep the opponent on the bar. A prime uses consecutive blocked points. In a holding game or backgame, keep an anchor and protect your timing.
The doubling cube: a decision before the roll
A double is offered on your turn before rolling. The opponent may take or pass. After a take, the cube value doubles and ownership moves to the taker. Gammons and backgammons increase the final value further.
Fair-play etiquette
Confirm colors, direction, match points, and dice conventions before starting. Never alter a result, die, or checker position. If a dispute occurs, preserve the position and use support and the platform record.
Before the first roll
A 30-second pre-game checklist
15 checkers for each player
2-5-3-5 setup and opposite directions
Match target and clock confirmed
Cube centred at value 1
Crawford and dice-on-checker conventions confirmed
Each player rolls one die to decide the start
Game language
Key terms you will see in the game room
Point
a board position
Bar
the centre area for hit checkers
Blot
a single vulnerable checker
Prime
consecutive blocked points
Race
a contact-free speed game
Gammon
a double-point win
Backgammon
a triple-point win
Double
an offer to increase the value
Take
accept the cube
Pass
decline the cube
Pip count
total distance to bear off
This guide follows standard Backgammon rules. Each tournament announces its own operational details—such as clock settings, Crawford status, and invalid-dice handling—before the game begins.
Answers to your questions
Backgammon FAQs
Can I move another checker while I have one on the bar? +
No. You must re-enter all checkers from the bar first. Until entry is possible, no other move is allowed.
What is different about rolling doubles? +
With doubles, the rolled number can be used four times; for example, double 4s give four four-point moves.
When can I bear off my checkers? +
Once all 15 checkers are in your home board, you may start bearing them off according to the dice.
What is the final reference for an online result? +
The server checks and records the game state, moves, winner, and financial result. The platform record is the final reference.
Your next step
Ready to roll the dice?
Start a casual game or choose the right tournament for a more serious competition.
