Play backgammon online for free
This is backgammon the way it feels on a real table: a wooden board, checkers that click into place and two dice that you throw, bounce and watch settle. Play against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or play a friend on the same screen. Tap a checker and then where it goes, or just drag it. Made a mistake? Undo any move before you finish your turn.
Want more of a challenge? Turn on the doubling cube or play a match to 3, 5 or 7 points with the Crawford rule. New to the game? A coach shows how likely each of your single checkers is to be hit and, after every move, tells you what was good about it, with one tip when there was something stronger. And every day there is Daily Dice: the same dice for everyone, so you can compare results with friends.
How to set up a backgammon board
Each player has 15 checkers. Your home board is in the bottom right and you move your checkers around the board counter-clockwise, from the top right, across to the left, and back along the bottom towards home. Point numbers count down from 24 to 1 as checkers get closer to home.
- Place 2 checkers on your 24-point, the point farthest from you, in your opponent's home board.
- Place 5 checkers on your 13-point, the midpoint, on your opponent's side of the board.
- Place 3 checkers on your 8-point, in your outer board.
- Place 5 checkers on your 6-point, in your home board, next to the bar.
- Mirror it for your opponent, their checkers sit on the same points counted from their side.
How to play backgammon
- The goal is to bring all 15 of your checkers into your home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off every checker wins.
- Starting: each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first and plays both numbers.
- Moving: roll two dice and move one checker by each number, or one checker by both. A 6-3 can move one checker 6 and another 3, or one checker 9.
- Where you can land: on any point that is empty, holds your own checkers, or holds just one of your opponent's. A point with two or more opposing checkers is blocked.
- Doubles are played four times: 4-4 means four moves of 4.
- Use both dice if you can. If only one number can be played, you must play it, and if either could be played but not both, play the larger.
- Hitting: landing on a single opposing checker (a blot) sends it to the bar in the middle. A player with a checker on the bar must bring it back in through the opponent's home board before moving anything else.
- Bearing off: once all your checkers are in your home board, a roll removes a checker from the matching point. A higher number can bear off your rearmost checker when no checker sits further back.
Winning a gammon or a backgammon
A normal win scores 1 point. If your opponent has not borne off a single checker when you finish, you win a gammon for 2 points. If they also still have a checker on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon, worth 3.
Backgammon strategy tips
- Make points in your home board. Every point you hold is a door your opponent cannot enter through. Your 5-point and bar point (7) are the most valuable.
- Mind your blots. A single checker within six points of an opposing checker can be hit directly. The coach's numbers, like 11/36, show the risk.
- Count the pips. The pip count shows how far each side has to travel. Ahead in the race? Get past your opponent and run home. Behind? Hold a point in their home board and wait for a shot.
- Build a prime. Six points in a row trap any checker behind them completely.
The best opening moves
| Roll | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1 | 8/5 6/5 | Makes your 5-point, the best opening of all. |
| 4-2 | 8/4 6/4 | Makes your 4-point. |
| 5-3 | 8/3 6/3 | Makes your 3-point. |
| 6-1 | 13/7 8/7 | Makes your bar point, a strong block. |
| 6-5 | 24/13 | Runs a back checker all the way to safety. |
| 6-4 | 24/14 or 8/2 6/2 | Run, or make a deep point. |
| 6-3 | 24/18 13/10 | Splits the back checkers and brings a builder down. |
| 6-2 | 24/18 13/11 | The same idea with a 2. |
| 5-4 | 24/20 13/8 | Splits and brings one checker safely home. |
| 5-2 | 13/8 13/11 | Two builders down from the midpoint. |
| 5-1 | 13/8 24/23 | One safe, one split. |
| 4-3 | 24/20 13/10 | Split and build. |
| 4-1 | 24/23 13/9 | A builder for your 5-point. |
| 3-2 | 24/21 13/11 | Split and build. |
| 2-1 | 13/11 24/23 | Quiet and flexible. |
The doubling cube
In money games and matches, players also use a doubling cube marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. Before rolling, a player who feels ahead can offer to double the stakes. The opponent either accepts and takes the cube, so only they can double next, or gives up the game at the current stakes. Here you can switch the cube on for single games, or play a match to 3, 5 or 7 points, where it is always in play. The computer doubles, takes and passes using its estimate of your chances and, in a match, the score.
Match play and the Crawford rule
In a match, points from each game (multiplied by the cube, and doubled again for a gammon) add up until someone reaches the target. When one player first gets within one point of winning, the next game is the Crawford game: nobody may double. After it, the cube is back, and the player who is behind will usually double straight away.
Backgammon variants
The same board and dice carry many other games. The best known in the United States is acey deucey, the sailors' version: every checker starts off the board, and a roll of 1-2 earns any doubles you like plus another roll. If it's just the dice you love, try Yatzy: five dice, three rolls and a score card to fill, or Farkle, where six dice and one bad roll decide whether you bank or bust.
Frequently asked questions
Is this backgammon game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser for free, with no download and no account, on a computer, tablet or phone.
Can I play backgammon against the computer?
Yes. Pick Easy, Medium or Hard. The computer learned the game by playing itself hundreds of thousands of times, and on Hard it also looks ahead at every roll you could throw next.
Can I play backgammon with a friend?
Yes, on the same device: choose “A friend on this device” and pass the screen between turns. There is no online multiplayer.
How do you set up a backgammon board?
Each player puts 2 checkers on their 24-point, 5 on their 13-point, 3 on their 8-point and 5 on their 6-point. The two sets mirror each other, and your home board sits on your right.
Can I play a backgammon match with the doubling cube?
Yes. In New game, pick single games with the doubling cube, or a match to 3, 5 or 7 points. Matches always use the cube and the Crawford rule, and the computer makes its own doubling decisions based on the position and the match score.
Who goes first in backgammon?
Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first and plays the two numbers that were rolled. If both dice show the same number, roll again.
What happens when you roll doubles?
You play the number four times instead of twice. A roll of 5-5 lets you move 5 four times, with one checker or several.
What is a gammon and a backgammon?
If you bear off all 15 checkers before your opponent has borne off any, you win a gammon, worth 2 points. If they still have a checker on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon, worth 3 points.
What is the secret to winning backgammon?
There is no single secret, but strong players do three things: they build points in their home board (the 5-point is the most valuable), they avoid leaving single checkers where they can easily be hit, and they count pips to know whether to race or to fight.
What is Daily Dice?
A daily game where everyone gets exactly the same dice against the same computer. Play it once a day, then share your result and see how your moves compare.
What do the numbers like 11/36 mean?
They show how many of your opponent's 36 possible rolls would hit that single checker on their next turn. Fewer is safer. You can turn them off with the coach in New game.
More classic games against the computer: dominoes (Draw or All Fives), Yatzy and Farkle.