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What Is Backgammon?

Backgammon is a two-player board game in which each player moves 15 checkers across 24 triangular points according to dice rolls, racing to be the first to remove all their checkers from the board. It blends strategic positioning with the randomness of dice, making it one of the few classic games where both calculation and luck determine the outcome.

The World’s Oldest Board Game (Probably)

Backgammon — or something very close to it — has been played for about 5,000 years. The Royal Game of Ur, excavated from a Mesopotamian tomb dating to roughly 2600 BCE, shares enough structural similarities to be considered an ancestor. Similar games appeared in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

The Roman version, called tabula, was wildly popular. Emperor Claudius reportedly had a special board built into his chariot so he could play while traveling. That level of obsession tracks — backgammon tends to get under your skin.

The game reached Europe through trade and conquest, evolving through various names and rule sets. The word “backgammon” likely derives from the Middle English baec gamen (“back game”), referring to the re-entry of captured pieces. Modern rules stabilized in the 17th and 18th centuries, and competitive play has continued ever since.

How to Play

The board has 24 narrow triangles called “points,” arranged in four quadrants of six. Each player starts with 15 checkers placed in a specific pattern across the board. Players roll two dice and move their checkers forward by the numbers shown — each die corresponds to a separate move.

The goal: move all 15 of your checkers into your “home board” (the last six points), then “bear them off” (remove them from the board). First to remove all 15 wins.

The wrinkle: when a single checker sits alone on a point (a “blot”), your opponent can land on it, sending it to the “bar” — the center ridge of the board. That checker must re-enter at the far end and travel the entire board again. Getting hit at the wrong moment can cost you the game.

Strategic decisions happen every turn. Should you spread your checkers to cover more ground, or stack them defensively? Hit your opponent’s blot and risk leaving yourself exposed, or play safe? The optimal move depends on the position, the score, and — if the doubling cube is in play — the financial stakes.

The Doubling Cube

The doubling cube, introduced in 1920s New York gambling clubs, transformed backgammon from a pleasant pastime into a serious strategic game. Either player can offer to double the stakes before rolling. The opponent can accept (and play for double the value) or decline (and forfeit the game at the current value).

The cube adds a dimension of game theory that doesn’t exist in most board games. Knowing when to double, when to accept, and when to drop requires evaluating winning probability — something that experienced players can estimate remarkably well through pattern recognition. As a rough guide, you should accept a double if you estimate you’ll win at least 25% of the time from the current position.

Backgammon and Computers

Backgammon has a long history with artificial intelligence. In 1992, Gerald Tesauro at IBM created TD-Gammon, a neural network that learned to play backgammon by playing millions of games against itself. It reached world-class level and actually changed how human experts play — the computer discovered strategies that contradicted decades of conventional wisdom.

Today, programs like GNU Backgammon and eXtreme Gammon play at superhuman levels and serve as training tools. Players can analyze their games move by move, with the computer rating each decision and showing the optimal play. This has raised the overall level of competitive play significantly.

The game is also mathematically interesting. With approximately 10^20 possible positions, backgammon offers rich territory for probability theory and decision analysis.

Competitive Play

Tournament backgammon is organized through national and international federations. Major events include the Monte Carlo Backgammon Championships (running since 1976), the U.S. Open, and various online tournaments. Prize pools can reach six figures.

Matches are played to a set number of points. You earn 1 point for a regular win, 2 for a “gammon” (winning before your opponent bears off any checkers), and 3 for a “backgammon” (winning when your opponent still has checkers on the bar or in your home board). The doubling cube multiplies these values, so a doubled backgammon is worth 6 points. Stakes escalate quickly.

Why People Get Hooked

Backgammon occupies a sweet spot between pure strategy games (like chess, where skill determines everything) and pure luck games (like slot machines, where nothing you do matters). The dice keep things uncertain — any player can win any single game — but over time, better decisions win more often. This combination keeps both beginners and experts engaged, because every game feels winnable and every loss feels like it could have gone differently.

The game is also social in a way that many board games aren’t. Backgammon is typically played one-on-one, face-to-face, with physical pieces. The doubling cube adds a negotiation element. Banter is traditional. The physical act of rolling dice and moving checkers has a tactile satisfaction that screens can’t replicate.

You can learn the rules in 15 minutes. You can spend a lifetime mastering the strategy. That ratio — easy to start, impossible to exhaust — is the signature of a truly great game, and it explains why people have been playing some version of backgammon for 50 centuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is backgammon?

Backgammon is approximately 5,000 years old, making it one of the oldest known board games. Archaeological evidence from the Royal Game of Ur (circa 2600 BCE in Mesopotamia) and similar games found in Iran, Egypt, and Rome show continuous play of backgammon-type games across millennia. The modern rules were standardized by Edmond Hoyle in the 18th century.

Is backgammon more luck or skill?

Over a single game, luck (dice rolls) has significant influence. Over a series of games, skill dominates. Top players win tournaments consistently because they make better decisions about checker placement, doubling cube usage, and risk management. Computer analysis shows that expert play beats average play about 65-70% of the time in individual games.

What is the doubling cube in backgammon?

The doubling cube is a die-shaped cube marked with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64. Either player can propose doubling the stakes at the start of their turn. The opponent must either accept (and play for double) or decline (and lose the current stakes). It adds a layer of strategic gambling that makes competitive backgammon far more complex.

Further Reading

• U.S. Backgammon Federation
• Encyclopedia Britannica - Backgammon
• World Backgammon Association