To start the game, each player rolls a single die. The player with a higher roll makes the first move, using that die roll along with the roll of his opponent. If equal numbers come-up, both players re-roll until the dice turn-up different numbers. After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns.

The roll of the dice indicates how many points the player has to move his checkers. For example, on a roll of four and two, one checker can be moved four points, while another checker can be moved two points (provided that the points are not occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers). It also legal to move a single checker by the total number shown on the two dice, however, two separate moves should be made according to the numbers shown on each dice.

Both numbers of a roll should be played (or all four numbers of a double - see below), if legally permissible. If only one number can be played, the player must play that number. When either number can be played but not both, the higher number must be played, and if neither number can be played, the player will lose his turn.

To move a checker, a player would click on it, drag it to the destination point and then release the mouse. Red checkers move clock-wise, while white checkers move counter-clock-wise.

DOUBLES

If the same number appears on both dice known as "doubles ", the player takes twice the usual number of moves. For example, on a roll of 6 and 6 the player has four sixes to move instead of two. The four moves can be made by any number of checkers or just by a single checker (if it is legal to do so).

When double appears if the player can not use all four numbers, he must play as many numbers as he can.

A "blot" is a point occupied by a single checker. If the opponent's checker lands on a blot , the blot has been "hit" and is placed on the "bar".

A player who has one or more checkers on the bar must "enter" all of them into the opponent's home board before moving any checkers on the board. A checker is entered according to the number of the rolled dice, provided that point is not occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers.

If a player has a checker on the bar and neither of the points is open, he loses his turn. If some checkers on the bar can be entered but not all of them, the player must enter as many as he can, then forfeit the remainder of his turn.

When the player enters the last checker, he can play the unused numbers on the dice by moving either the entered checker or a different one.

Backgammon is played for an agreed stake per point. Each game starts at one point. During the course of the game, a player who feels he has a sufficient advantage may propose doubling the stakes. He may do this only at the start of his own turn and before he has rolled the dice.

A player who is offered a double is allowed to refuse, in which case he concedes the game and pays one point. Otherwise, he must accept the double and play on for the new higher stakes. A player who accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may make the next double.

Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles. If a player refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, he becomes the new owner of the cube and the game continues at twice the previous stakes. There is no limit to the number of redoubles in a game.

Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board, he may commence to bear them off (i.e. removing them from the board). A player must have all his checkers in his home board in order to bear off. If a checker is "hit" during the bear-off process, the player must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing to bear off. A player bears off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a checker from the six point.

If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, the player is required to remove a checker from the highest point on which one of his checkers resides. A player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an otherwise legal move. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers will be declared the winner.

GAMMON & BACKGAMMON

If a player bears off all 15 of his checkers before an opponent has borne off a single checker, such player will win a gammon, or double game.