What happens if I can't move?

If no legal move exists for either die, your turn is forfeit and the dice pass to your opponent. It happens most often when you are stuck on the bar against a strong home board.

Must I use both dice?

Yes, whenever possible. If you can only play one number, you must play it; if either could be played but not both, you must play the higher. The board grays out any move that would waste a playable die.

Should I always take a double?

Not always. Take when you still have a real chance — roughly a one-in-four shot or better — and drop when you are clearly behind, to save the extra points. The pip count is your guide.

Does the game save if I leave?

Yes. The current match, the cube and your statistics are stored in your browser, so everything is waiting when you return. Clearing your browsing data resets it.

How to play backgammon

Backgammon is a race for two players. Each of you has fifteen checkers to bring home and bear off; the dice say how far you may move, and the board decides what is safe. This is the standard short game, with the long nardy variant noted where it differs.

The goal

Move all fifteen of your checkers into your home board — the last six points — and then bear them off the board. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins the game.

The starting position

In standard backgammon each side starts with two checkers on the far corner, five on the mid-point, three and five on the near quarter — mirrored for each player. In long nardy all fifteen begin stacked on the head, the 24-point, for each side.

Rolling and moving

Roll two dice and move one checker for each die, or one checker twice. Rolling doubles gives you four moves of that number. You must use both dice if there is any legal way to do so, and the higher one if only one can be played.

Hitting and the bar

In standard play a point with a single enemy checker is a blot: land on it and that checker goes to the bar. Before doing anything else, a player with a checker on the bar must re-enter it in the opponent's home board. Long nardy has no hitting — you simply cannot land on a point the opponent holds.

Bearing off

Once all your checkers are home you may bear them off. A die bears off a checker from the point of that number; a higher die bears off from your highest occupied point. If you are hit while bearing off, you must bring the checker all the way back home before continuing.

The doubling cube

Before your roll you may offer to double the stakes. Your opponent takes — doubling the game's value and taking ownership of the cube — or drops and forfeits the current points. Only the cube's owner may next propose a double, so it swings back and forth.

Gammons and backgammons

If you bear off all fifteen before your opponent bears off any, you win a gammon — double the cube's value. If they still have a checker on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon, worth triple. Long nardy scores the gammon (mars) but not the backgammon.

Common questions

What happens if I can't move?: If no legal move exists for either die, your turn is forfeit and the dice pass to your opponent. It happens most often when you are stuck on the bar against a strong home board.
Must I use both dice?: Yes, whenever possible. If you can only play one number, you must play it; if either could be played but not both, you must play the higher. The board grays out any move that would waste a playable die.
Should I always take a double?: Not always. Take when you still have a real chance — roughly a one-in-four shot or better — and drop when you are clearly behind, to save the extra points. The pip count is your guide.
Does the game save if I leave?: Yes. The current match, the cube and your statistics are stored in your browser, so everything is waiting when you return. Clearing your browsing data resets it.

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