Backgammon

Backgammon is among the most ancient board games that can be played by 2 players. The players move the playing pieces by rolling the dice, and win a game by removing all pieces from the playing board. Backgammon has many versions and variants which share certain common traits. Backgammon belongs to the family of games known as tables, one of the earliest forms of board games ever to be played in the world.

Even though luck plays a major role in determining the final outcome of a game, gaming strategy is also a significant factor in deciding who will win the game. With each and every roll of the playing dice, the players will have to choose from several available options for moving the checkers as well as anticipate all possible counter-moves that the opponent player can make. The players may also choose to raise the stakes of the game at any point they wish while playing. Backgammon consists of numerous common tactics and occurring situations.

Much like chess, this game has been meticulously studied by experts and computer scientists. This has resulted in the development of backgammon software that is capable of defeating human players of world-class stature.

Rules of Backgammon

The playing pieces that are used in backgammon are called by various names, such as checkers, stones, draughts, counters, men, chips or pawns. The main objective of the game is that the player has to get rid of all of his or her own playing pieces before the opponent player can perform the same task. The checkers or draughts are randomly scattered at first, which may be hit or blocked by the opponent. Since the total time allotted to each individual backgammon game is kept short, backgammon is frequently played in small matches where the 1st player to score a definite number of points is declared the winner.

Backgammon Setup

Twelve long triangles known as points are arranged in a track on both sides of the gaming board. The points are said to be linked across 1 edge of the gaming board, thus forming a horseshoe-like structure. Numbers from 1 to 24 are allotted to the points. The players begin the game by putting 2 checkers on their 24th point, 3 checkers on their 8th point and 5 checkers each on the 6th point and 13th point. Both the players move their draughts or checkers in the opposing directions, i.e. from the 24th point towards the 1st point.

The points from 1 to 6 are referred to as inner board or home board, and the points 7 to 12 are said to be the outer board. The 7th point is said to be the bar point. The 13th point is called the mid- point.

Backgammon Variants

There are numerous variants of the standard game of backgammon. The rules of each variant differ only slightly from the other variants of this game. Some of the most well-known variants of this game include Acey-deucey, Nackgammon, Hypergammon, Russian backgammon, Tapa and Gul Bara.