Backgammon Rules Clarification

Hedge · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 18

Could someone clarify a question I have about a backgammon rule? I was playing a game with a friend and he claimed that once all my checkers were in my home board, I could not move them on the board anymore – only off the board. I am sure that the way I was taught to play backgammon said that checkers could be moved even if they were in the home board. So, is he simply quoting an unofficial version to play backgammon or is he right? Thanks for any insight.

yendi · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 16

In a nutshell, you are right and he is incorrect. Your way is considered the ‘standard’ way. However, he may well be using the rules of a backgammon variant, which may state that checkers need to be moved off the home board only once they reach that stage of the game. Acey Duecy, for example – a common backgammon version – may have a rule variant similar to what your friend is talking about.