How Backgammon Checkers Are Used in a Game of Backgammon

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Are you new to the game of backgammon? Looking for information on backgammon checkers and how they can help you win? The following information will teach you the role checkers play in a game and how a player must transport them around the board in order to win.

Firstly, each player starts the game with 15 checkers. These are placed on the correct points or triangles of the backgammon board. The backgammon checkers are moved according to the numbers displayed on two dice. A player can move one checker for each die or one checker the total number of spaces that appear on both dice. For example, a player rolls a 5 and a 3. He can move one checker five spaces and a second checker three spaces. Or he can simply move one checker a total of eight spaces. If he rolls doubles, he can move his checkers twice the value shown on the dice.

Backgammon checkers can be moved to any open or unoccupied point on the board, and also any point that is occupied by one checker. If this checker belongs to a player's opponent, it is hit and must be taken off the board and placed on the bar area. Checkers can only be removed from the bar and played back into the game when the player rolls the correct number on the dice to do so.

Backgammon checkers must traverse the board to reach a player's home board area. Once safely there, they must be removed from the board. The player must roll the dice to bear his checkers off the board. The first player to do so wins the game.