Backgammon rules and how to play: hitting and bearing off

Backgammon modes

• Random match (ランダムマッチ): find an opponent online
• Room match (ルーム対戦): play a friend using a room ID
• Play against the computer (コンピュータ対戦): practice at three strength levels (with hints)
• Two players (2人で対戦): take turns on one device

Basic rules of Backgammon

• At the start, each player rolls one die, and the higher roll goes first. Those two numbers are the first player's first roll.
• Roll two dice and move your checkers by the numbers shown. You must use every number you can; if you can use only one, you use the larger. On doubles, you use the number four times.
• If you land on a point with just one opposing checker (a blot), you "hit" it and send it to the bar (the middle). You cannot land on a point with two or more opposing checkers.
• A checker on the bar must enter your opponent's home board according to your roll before you can move any other checker.
• Once all your checkers are in your home board, you can bear off: take checkers off the board according to your rolls.
• The first player to bear off all their checkers wins. If the opponent has not borne off any checkers, it is a gammon (2 points); if the opponent also still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, it is a backgammon (3 points).

How to play on Asobi Lounge

• Press Roll the dice (サイコロを振る), then select a highlighted checker and tap its destination, or drag it.
• When you have moved everything, press Confirm (確定) to pass the turn. Until you confirm, you can redo moves with Undo move (一手戻す).
• Each player's panel shows the pip count (the total of the numbers still needed to finish). If you keep playing, the points from gammons and other wins add up.
• Start a room match by sharing the room ID or with a friend invite.

The chance of being hit

Two dice can come up in 36 ways. Assuming no blocked points in between, here is how many of those rolls let an opposing checker a given distance away land on your blot with its next roll.

1 pip away: 11 ways, 2 pips: 12, 3 pips: 14, 4 pips: 15, 5 pips: 15, 6 pips: 17. At 7 or more, both dice must be added to reach, so the numbers drop sharply: 7 pips: 6, 8 pips: 6, 9 pips: 5, 10 pips: 3, 11 pips: 2, 12 pips: 3. If you must leave a blot, a good guide is to keep it 7 or more pips away from your opponent's checkers.

How the computer levels differ

• Lv.1 Novice: chooses on a whim from the better half of the likely moves. For players who have just learned the rules.
• Lv.2 Intermediate: considers how likely it is to be hit and how to make points, and picks the best move right now.
• Lv.3 Advanced: considers all 21 of your possible next rolls (6 doubles and 15 others) and reads your reply before choosing.

Tips

• Two or more checkers on a point cannot be hit. Avoiding blots is the basic idea.
• Holding several points in a row with your checkers makes a block that stops your opponent's checkers.
• Both players start with a pip count of 167. When you lead by a lot in pip count, stop trading hits and switch to a "race" toward home.

Frequently asked questions

Doesn't dice luck decide everything?

Luck plays a big part, but placements that avoid hits and plans that trap your opponent's checkers let skill make a difference.

The rules look hard.

Start by playing the computer to try out how checkers move, hitting and bearing off. You can also see the move the Advanced level would play with Hint (ヒント).

Is there a doubling cube?

Not on this site. You score 1, 2 or 3 points depending on how you win, and points add up if you keep playing.

Is Backgammon free to play?

Yes, it costs nothing. Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.

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