Backgammon is one of the oldest games for two people. The goal of each player is to remove all their pieces from the game board. To do this, you roll two dice and move the checkers to your home (or home table) before eliminating them. If you want to play exciting games of backgammon, you will first have to learn how to set up the table correctly; follow the first step of this article to do it in seconds.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Set up the Traditional Backgammon Board
Step 1. Get to know the board
Before arranging the pieces, it is important to know some basic rules. Here is what you need to know in preparation for the match:
- On the board are drawn 24 triangles called points.
- The triangles, in alternating colors, are grouped into four quadrants, made up of six points each.
- There are four quadrants: the inside board (or house) and the outside board of a player, and the inside and outside board of the opponent.
- Each player's home board is always located in the nearest right quadrant.
- As for the position, the two internal tables and the two external tables (the ones on the left with respect to the player) are opposite to each other.
- The triangles are numbered from one to twenty-four. Point # 24 is the furthest from each player and is located on the opponent's house, on the far left, while point # 1 is located on the far right of each player's house.
- The points of each player are numbered in the opposite way. A player's # 24 point is also his opponent's # 1 point, # 23 is also the # 2 point, etc.
Step 2. Each player takes 15 pieces
Arranging the pieces is easier if each player does it on his own. The pieces of each should be of a different color than those of the other. Usually the pieces are white and brown or black and red, although the two colors are not that important, as long as they are different from each other.
Step 3. Each player places two checkers on his point # 24
This point will be the farthest from the house, on the far left of the opponent's house. As players place the pieces they should make sure they are arranged in a mirror image; if it does not happen, it is better to consult and check.
Step 4. The players place 5 of their checkers on point 13
Point # 13 will be on the same side as point # 24. While the pieces can be placed in any order, it can be useful to arrange them in the direction they will be moved throughout the game.
Step 5. Everyone places 3 checkers on point 8
Point 8 will be on the same side of the players' house, very close to the latter.
Step 6. The players place the last 5 checkers on point 6
These pawns will be placed in the house. Remember that each player will have to refer to their own numbering, without the pieces overlapping each other.
Step 7. Play
Now that you have the table set, you are ready to play. Although the rules of the game are a bit more complicated, here you will find the basics to get started:
- The goal of each player is to bring all his pieces to his home and then start removing them. The first to remove all his pieces wins.
- During their turn, each player rolls two dice. The numbers on the dice indicate how far each piece can be moved.
- The pieces move in one direction only, starting from the quadrant opposite the player's house and then entering the two external tables and finally arriving at the house.
- Checkers can only be moved to open points. The points are open when: they have no checkers on them, they are occupied by other checkers of the current player or they only have an opponent's checker on them. The player whose turn it is cannot move his checkers on a point with two or more opponent's checkers on it, because in such conditions the point is occupied by the other player.
- Players should try to secure their pieces. To secure the checkers, you'll need to make sure that each of your occupied points has at least two checkers on it. If you only have one checker on a point, the opponent can place one of his checkers on it and eat yours by removing it from the game (a point with only one checker on it is called "uncovered"). The removed pawn will have to start again from the opponent's square.
- If the player gets a pair, then he has the option to move the pawn four times by moving it according to the number obtained. So, by rolling two 3s, you can move any checker 4 times by moving it 3 points each time.
- When a player has brought all his pieces into his home, he can start "taking them out", ie removing them from the game.
- To do this, you need to roll the number corresponding to the points you have checkers on. If, for example, you have two checkers on point 5 and you get a 5 and a 3, you can remove one from point # 5 and move the other 3 points, up to point # 2, or move another checker that you have at home. If you do not get the number corresponding to a point on which you have checkers, you can move the checkers you have on another point towards point n ° 1, but you will still have to roll a 1 to take them out.
Method 2 of 2: Set the Board for Other Game Variations
Step 1. Set up the board for playing nackgammon
For this version of the game, each player will have to place two checkers on 24, two on 23, four on 13, three on 8 and four on 6. The table setting is similar to that used for traditional backgammon, except for one checker "loaned" from point n ° 13 and one from point n ° 6. In addition to the initial placement, the rules are the same as in traditional backgammon.
Step 2. Set up the hyper-backgammon board
To set the table, each player needs three pieces. Each player places one pawn on 24, one on 23 and one on 22. After positioning, you can start playing. This version allows you to play extremely fast and exciting games.
Step 3. Set up the board for the long-gammon
In this version of the game, each player places all of his 15 checkers on point # 24. Apart from this one difference, the rules of the game remain the same as in traditional backgammon.
Step 4. Set up the board for Dutch backgammon
It is the simplest version of backgammon! You start with all the pieces off the board (so you don't have to worry about setting everything up). The aim of the game remains the same, to take the pawns out of their home, and the dice are rolled to "enter" the opponent's home. In this version of the game, players cannot eat opponent's pieces until they have all their pieces come into play.
Advice
- To set up the table, read the game instructions and use the illustrations.
- Once you have learned how to set up the board, read up on the actual game.
