Making Your Way through the Game of Backgammon
Nowadays, backgammon is a popular game online played by two players on a backgammon board which has twenty four narrow triangles known as points. This is in line with the standard rules of backgammon. The triangles alternating in colors, are being grouped into four squares, each consisting of six triangles. The player's home board and outer board is the quadrant, and opposite is the other player's home board and outer board. The bar, a kind of ridge that is being drawn down at the center of the board, separates the two home board and outer boards. Here are some of the basic standard rules to follow in backgammon;
Fig. 1. Initial Position of the Board Another type of arrangement is the reverse of this one illustrated here, the home board placed at the left side, and the outer board located on the right side. This is one of the standard rules in backgammon.Each player has points that are numbered which starts at the player's home board. Twenty four points is located at the outermost side, also considered as the opponent's one point. Every player owns fifteen checkers in a distinct color.
In the standard rules for backgammon, the original position of checkers is; Two on every player's twenty- four points ; Five for every player's thirteen point; Three on every player's eight point; and Five on every player's six point. A dice and a dice cup for shaking is given to each player. To monitor the stake of the current game a doubling cube with numbers 2,4,8,16,,32,and 64 on its surface is being utilized.
The Objective One of the main purpose in the standard rules of backgammon game is to place all one's checker into his own home board and finally bear them off. Being the first one to bear off all of his checkers is declared the winner.
Fig. 2. White Checker's Movement - Red Checker in reverse direction
How the checkers move The Standard rules in backgammon in starting the game, is that every player throws a single dice. The result of the roll of dice will show who will start first and what numbers are to be played. Somehow if both players rolled the same number, they will repeat throwing the dice until they got different numbers. The player with the higher number will start by moving his checkers according to the result on both dice. After the initial roll of dice, each player will have his turn in throwing the dice. Proceeding the first roll of dice, the players then alternately throws two dice each.
A blot is a point that is being contained in a single checker of any color. If the blot was occupied by the opponent's checker it is a hit and is put on the bar. A player is required to put his checkers on his opponent's home board anytime he gets one or more checkers on his bar. This is done by placing it to an open point that is indicated by the number on the rolled dice.
These are some of the standard rules in backgammon. More of the informations on its rules will be discussed in our next article.