how many pieces are in backgammon?
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how many pieces are in backgammon?
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Rolling doubles in backgammon
The players throw and play alternately throughout the game, except in the case where a player cannot make a legal move and therefore forfeits their turn. Even if one player rolls 3 doubles in backgammon, it is still the opponents turn after every roll.
Rules of Backgammon
Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each. The quadrants are referred to as a player’s home board and outer board, and the opponent’s home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the center of the board called the bar.
The points are numbered for either player starting in that player’s home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also the opponent’s one point. Each player has fifteen checkers of his own color. The initial arrangement of checkers is: two on each player’s twenty-four point, five on each player’s thirteen point, three on each player’s eight point, and five on each player’s six point.Both players have their own pair of dice and a dice cup used for shaking. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake of the game.
The Rules of Backgammon
Two variations of Backgammon are included after the main rules – Dutch Backgammon and Acey Deucey, a game popular within the American armed forces.
Backgammon
Equipment
The game of Backgammon is played on a specially designed board consisting of four tables of six thin triangles or points on each table. The points start from the edges of the board nearest the players and are directed inwards so that they form two rows of 12 points opposite each other. A bar bisects the board and the two tables on one side are designated the “inner tables” or “home tables”, the others being referred to as the “outer tables”. Traditionally, the inner tables should be positioned facing the greatest light source. There are fifteen white disks, fifteen black disks, two dice, two dice shakers and a doubling cube. The doubling cube is a die having the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 inscribed upon its 6 faces.
Preparation and Objective
Each player attempts to move all his pieces into the inner table nearest to him (his home table) and once that is achieved, to move or “bear” the pieces off the board. The first player to do this wins. However, that is only half the story because backgammon is not being played properly unless it is being played for stakes. So the ultimate objective of a Backgammon match is to win more stakes than the opponent.
Starting
Pieces can only move in one direction – from the opponent’s inner table through the opponent’s outer table, back through the player’s outer table and finishing in the player’s inner table. White pieces move in a clockwise direction, Black moves in an anti-clockwise direction. Since the inner tables point towards the light, it should therefore be clear who sits where.
For the purposes of describing the starting position, the points will be numbered1 to 12 on either side of the board starting with the first square of the inner table and finishing with the last square of the outer table. On Black’s side, position 2 white pieces on point 1, 5 black pieces on square 6, 3 black pieces on square 8 and five white pieces on square 12. White’s side should mirror this arrangement exactly.
Backgammon is played for stakes
Although Backgammon is played for stakes, this does not necessarily mean money – one can use counters, beans or one can just keep a score with pen and paper. However, the gambling element can be eliminated completely by following the normal rules and merely ignoring the doubling cube and the stakes. Normally, however, a stake is decided up front be it monetary or otherwise.
To begin, each player rolls one die each at the same time. If a double is rolled, then the stake is doubled and both players roll again. This is repeated until one player rolls a higher number than the other. The player with the highest throw then uses the dice throw from both players to take the first turn and also chooses to play white or black (and thus which side to sit).
Doubling and stakes
At any time after the first turn, either player can offer to double the stakes prior to casting the dice. Upon being presented with such an ultimatum, the other player must choose either to forfeit the game and the current stake or accept the offer.
Once the stake has been doubled once in this way, only the player who accepted the most recent offer to double the stake can offer to re-double it. Whenever this happens, the other player either forfeits the game or accepts the double and the opportunity to offer the next double.
The doubling cube is used to record the current amount of the stake.
Bearing Off
Once all pieces are present in a player’s inner table, that player can start “bearing off”. A throw of 1 allows a player to bear off a piece from point 1 of his inner table, a throw of 2 allows a player to bear off a piece from point 2 of his inner table and so on. Pieces borne off are simply removed from the board. Player’s do not have to bear off – if available, they can choose to move a piece within their inner table instead. This is often done to pair up singlets in order to prevent them from capture.
When a player rolls a number that is higher than the highest point of the inner table upon which that player has pieces, the player is allowed to bear off the next highest piece. For example, with a roll of double 5, if the player has a piece on point 5, two pieces on point 3, one piece on point 2 and one piece on point 1, the player would bear off the four highest placed pieces and be left with just one piece on point 1.
