Learn Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest games still played today — and one of the easiest to start. These free guides take you from your very first roll to confident cube decisions, in plain English and with no fluff.
Everything here is written for real play. The rules pages match the standard international rules used in clubs, tournaments and online play, and every guide links to the others so you can move naturally from learning the basics to mastering the doubling cube.
Where to Start
If you have never played before, start with the beginner's guide — it walks through a full game step by step. If you already know the flow and want precise answers, the complete rules reference covers every situation, from forced moves to closed boards. Setting up a physical board? The setup guide shows exactly where all 30 checkers go.
Once the basics feel comfortable, two topics separate casual players from strong ones: the doubling cube, which turns backgammon into a game of judgment and nerve, and scoring — singles, gammons and backgammons — which decides how much each game is actually worth. And whenever you meet a word you don't know, the glossary has it covered, from anchor to take point.
The Guides
How to Play
A step-by-step beginner's guide: from your first roll to bearing off your last checker.
Rules Reference
The complete rulebook: movement, hitting, bearing off, forced moves and scoring.
Board Setup
Point numbering, the starting position for all 15 checkers, and the mistakes to avoid.
Doubling Cube
When to double, what take and drop really cost, redoubles, Crawford and Jacoby.
Scoring & Gammons
Single, gammon and backgammon wins, cube multipliers and match play explained.
Glossary
Every term you will hear at the board, from anchor to take point, in plain English.
Learn by Playing
Reading gets you the rules; playing gets you the feel. Backgammon rewards pattern recognition — which points matter, when a blot is safe enough, when a race is winnable — and those instincts only come from real games against real opponents. You can play backgammon free in your browser, with fair certified dice and live opponents at every skill level, or grab the mobile app and keep your rating with you.
Ready for the next level? The strategy guides pick up where the rules leave off — the best opening move for every roll, the habits that fix beginner leaks, and the probability behind every decision.