Standard Backgammon
The internationally recognised form of Backgammon, governed by the rules of the US Backgammon Federation and the World Backgammon Federation. Pieces race around a 24-point board in opposite directions. Hitting blots sends them to the bar; the doubling cube creates strategic depth around risk and commitment.
Standard Backgammon — starting position
https://engine.moddable.games/play/?game=backgammon&variant=standard
| Item | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 1 | 24 points (triangles), bar in the centre, bear-off tray at each end |
| Checkers | 30 | 15 per player in contrasting colours |
| Dice | 4 | 2 per player |
| Doubling cube | 1 | Faces show 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 |
Setup
Starting position:
- 2 checkers on each player’s 24-point
- 5 checkers on each player’s 13-point
- 3 checkers on each player’s 8-point
- 5 checkers on each player’s 6-point
Points are numbered 1–24 from each player’s perspective. Your 1-point is your home board near the bear-off tray; your 24-point is furthest away.
Movement
Both players roll one die each to determine who moves first; higher roll goes first (reroll on ties). The first player uses the two dice already rolled as their opening move.
On each turn, roll both dice and move checkers forward (toward your 1-point) by the number shown on each die. Doublets (both dice the same) give four moves of that number.
Legal moves:
- A checker may move to any open point (one not occupied by two or more opponent checkers).
- A point with exactly one opponent checker is a blot — you may land on it to hit.
- If no move is possible for a die, that die is forfeited. Forfeit as few dice as possible.
Hitting
Landing on a blot sends the opponent’s checker to the bar. A player with checkers on the bar must re-enter them before any other move. Re-entry is onto the opponent’s home board (points 19–24 from the entering player’s perspective) by rolling the corresponding number. If re-entry is blocked, the player’s turn is lost.
Bearing Off
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1–6), you may bear them off. Roll and remove a checker from the matching point, or move a checker forward. If no checker is on the exact point rolled, you must move a checker from a higher-numbered point; if no higher checker exists, remove from the highest occupied point.
Doubling Cube
At the start of a turn, before rolling, a player may offer to double the current stake. The opponent may accept (taking ownership of the cube) or refuse (conceding the game at the current stake). The cube shows the current multiplier. The owner of the cube may redouble at any later point.
Winning
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins. If the opponent has not yet borne off any checkers, the winner scores a gammon (worth double). If the opponent still has checkers on the bar or in the winner’s home board, the winner scores a backgammon (worth triple).
Attribution
Standard Backgammon. Public domain rules. Source: US Backgammon Federation official rules; Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA).