Backgammon Play Online Against the Computer or a Friend

About this game

Play Backgammon free online against the computer or a friend. Roll the dice, move your 15 checkers around the board, hit your opponent’s single checkers, and be the first to bring all your checkers home and bear them off. Full rules, three computer levels, pip counts and undo are built in.

Quick answer: Press Roll dice, tap a checker with a yellow outline, then tap a green spot to move it by one die. Each die is a separate move. You move your white checkers from point 24 down to point 1, into your home board at the bottom right. Once all 15 are home, move them off the board. The first player to bear off all checkers wins.

How to play Backgammon

1. Start. Each player rolls one die. The higher roll goes first and uses both numbers.
2. Moving. On your turn, roll two dice and move checkers forward by each number. You can move one checker by both numbers or two checkers by one number each.
3. Doubles. If both dice show the same number, you move that number four times.
4. Blocked points. You cannot land on a point holding two or more of your opponent’s checkers.
5. Hitting. If you land on a point with just one opposing checker (a blot), it is hit and goes to the bar. A player with a checker on the bar must bring it back into the opponent’s home board before making any other move.
6. Bearing off. When all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can move them off with exact rolls. A higher number can bear off a checker from your highest occupied point.
7. Using the dice. You must use both dice if you can. If only one can be used, you must use the higher one when possible. If no move is possible, your turn passes.

Scoring: gammons and backgammons

This version keeps a running points total across games. It does not use the doubling cube.

Backgammon strategy tips

• Make points in your home board. Two checkers together are safe and block your opponent. Your 5-point and 4-point are the most useful early.
• Avoid leaving blots. A single checker within six points in front of an enemy checker is easy to hit.
• Watch the pip count. The pip count shows how far each side still has to travel. If you are well ahead, race home. If you are behind, hold points and wait for a shot.
• Build a prime. Six blocked points in a row trap your opponent’s checkers completely.

More board games: checkers, Mancala and Reversi. Need real dice for another game? Use our dice roller.

FAQ

Are the dice fair?

Yes. Each die is rolled with your browser’s secure random number generator, so every number from 1 to 6 is equally likely and the computer gets no special rolls.

Can I play Backgammon with a friend?

Yes. Choose Friend (2 players) and take turns on the same device. White moves to the bottom right and Red to the top right.

Can I take back a move?

Yes. Press Undo moves before your last move of the turn to start your turn again with the same dice.

How good is the computer?

Easy makes mostly random moves. Medium and hard judge each possible move by safety, blocking points and the race, and hard always picks its best move.