---
title: "Backgammon — Official Rulebook"
version: "0.1.1"
slug: "backgammon"
players: "2"
duration: "15–60 min"
age: "8+"
tagline: "Five thousand years of race, risk, and probability"
type: "classic"
status: "live"
updated: "2026-06-15"
published: true
variants: true
how_to_play: "Roll dice and race your 15 pieces around the board, bearing them off before your opponent. Combine racing, blocking, hitting, and probability management with the doubling cube for betting."
mechanics: [dice, race, capture, track, push-your-luck, betting]
complexity: moderate
related: [pachisi, chaupar, nyout, royal-ur]
theme:
  tint: warm
  texture: grain
  cover: solid
  typography: classical
  accent: rose
engine:
  topology:
    type: track
    shape: linear
    positions: 24
  surface:
    colors:
      board-outer: "#3d2b1f"
      felt: "#1a5c3a"
      point-a: "#c47e3b"
      point-b: "#8b2500"
  render:
    cellSize: 22
    trackStyle: triangular-points
    labels: false
  pieces:
    set: playstrategy-draughts-plain
  players: [white, black]
---

<div class="section variant-hub">

## Variant Library

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, with origins traced to ancient Mesopotamia approximately 5,000 years ago. The family — known historically as Tables games — combines racing, blocking, and probability in a game where dice introduce randomness but deep skill determines long-term results. The doubling cube, introduced in the 1920s, added a betting layer that transformed competitive play.

This library includes {{variant_count}} playable variants from the Backgammon family.

### Standard Rules

<div class="variant-grid">

- [Standard Backgammon](variants/standard/) — Classic rules: 15 pieces per side, hit and bar, doubling cube, bear-off to win

</div>

### Regional Forms

<div class="variant-grid">

- [Nardi](variants/nardi/) — Caucasian and Russian variant: no hitting, pieces travel the same direction, no doubling cube
- [Plakoto](variants/plakoto/) — Greek: pin instead of hit — one piece traps an opponent piece rather than sending it to the bar
- [Fevga](variants/fevga/) — Greek: single-file blocking, pieces advance in one direction, no blots allowed

</div>

### American Forms

<div class="variant-grid">

- [Acey-Deucey](variants/acey-deucey/) — US military tradition: rolling 1-2 grants any doublet free; pieces enter one at a time

</div>

### Short Forms

<div class="variant-grid">

- [Hypergammon](variants/hypergammon/) — 3 pieces per side on the last three points; fast tactical game used in tournaments
- [Nackgammon](variants/nackgammon/) — 2 extra blots on the 23-point; slower opening, more complex middle game

</div>

### Multiplayer

<div class="variant-grid">

- [Chouette](variants/chouette/) — One player versus a consulting team; the box rotates on a win; doubling cube dynamics multiply

</div>

</div>