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About the game

Play Backgammon online

Race your 15 checkers round the board and bear them off first.

Play free backgammon online: the computer, a friend on one screen, or someone online. Roll the dice, race your 15 checkers home and bear them off.

Play vs the computer, or pass the phone to a friend, or play someone online. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.

How to play Backgammon

  1. 1Pick who you’re playing: the computer, a friend online with a room code, a friend on the same screen, or someone new with Quick match.
  2. 2Tap the board to roll the two dice.
  3. 3Tap one of your checkers, then a glowing spot to move it by one die.
  4. 4Play both dice. A double lets you move four times.
  5. 5Bring all 15 checkers into your home corner, then bear them off. First to clear the board wins.

Rules

  • Each side starts with 15 checkers in the standard spots. To decide who goes first, each player rolls one die; the higher roll starts and plays both numbers.
  • A checker moves as many points as a die shows, onto a point that's empty, holds your own checkers, or holds just one of your rival's. Landing on a lone rival checker hits it onto the bar.
  • You must play both dice if you can, and all four on a double. If only one die can be played, play the larger one if it fits.
  • A checker on the bar has to come back in first, in your rival's home corner, before anything else moves.
  • Once all 15 are home you can bear off, with the exact number or a larger one from your farthest checker. There's no doubling cube: a gammon or backgammon shows as words at the end.