The following is a compendium of the most basic Backgammon rules made easy. Assuming you have already positioned all your checkers in their initial positions (two checkers on the24 point, five checkers on the 13 point, three checkers on the 8 point and five checkers on the 6 point), it is time to make the opening throw of dice. This initial roll is made by both players in unison with only one of their dice. The player who rolls the highest number begins the game by moving his checkers according to what the opening throw of dice indicates. If both players roll the same number, an additional throw must follow until the tie is broken. All checkers must advance in a counter clock motion as many points (triangles) as the dice indicate. A throw of dice can be utilized in two ways:
A) as two individual throws fro two individual checkers
B) as a combined throw for a single checker
If each of the dice rolled show the same number (i.e., 5) the player must move his/her checkers four consecutive times that number. The advancement of a checker depends upon the availability of the point where it should land, even if the two dice numbers are combined. In other words, if you have rolled a 2 and a 5 and want to play them separate or in combination, it will only be possible if the second and fifth points counter clock wise from the current checker position are available. An empty point or a point where no more than one of your opponent’s checkers is placed is considered an available point to land your men (checkers).
If one of your opponent’s checkers (a blot) occupies the point where you should place your checker(s), then you may hit it and send it to the bar. For a hit checker to enter the board, the player must throw a roll indicating an available point in his/her opponent’s home-board. Should this not occur, no further advancement may take place for the owner of the hit piece, and he/she shall lose his/her turn.
Once all of your checkers are in your home-board, you must proceed to bear them off. Bearing off is done by retrieving from the board those checkers standing on the point indicated by the throw of the dice. If the specific point is vacant and there are checkers standing on higher points, then those checkers must advance in the regular way previously indicated. If the point indicated by the roll is vacant and no other checkers stand on higher points, then the checkers standing on the following point will be the ones to retrieve. If a double (same number in both dice) is rolled, you must either bear off four checkers or move four of them within the home-board according to your possibilities.
Remember, Backgammon is a game of skill and luck which objective is to bear off your checkers as quickly as possible before your opponent can achieve the same objective, and by deepening your knowledge on its rules you will expand your chances for victory.