How to Play Backgammon

The layout of the backgammon board is one with 24 triangular shapes, or points on which each player spreads his fifteen checkers (or “men”) at the beginning of play.  The goal of the game is to progress one’s checkers from their original places to the other side of the board.  Once this is done, the checkers must be hauled out one by one before the opposing player manages to get his men off the board.  The first player to rid the board of all his checkers is declared the winner.

 The board set-up is quite simple.  Each player receives a different colored set of 15 checkers (usually colored black and white).  The board is positioned between the two players in such a way that a row of twelve horizontal triangles is in front each player and the point values are counted in descending order for each player in the opposite direction.  That is, the 24 point for one player is the 1 point for the opposing player, and so on.  The opening checker placement is in the following order for each player:

    2 checkers on the 24 point
    3 checkers on the 8 point
    5 checkers on the 13 point
    5 checkers on the 6 point

The way backgammon is played for so long (sometimes hours) between the same two people is not just through one match.  The game becomes a very fast-paced competition between even modestly-experienced players that one quick win doesn’t mean all that much and is usually tallied as one match point.  The competition continues in a series of best of three, best of five, or more before one side comes up victorious.