Backgammon

Backgammon rules

(offline playing)

Board Arrangement & positioning

1. Board should be placed absolutely flat. Leaning or twisting of the board should be totally avoided. Its advisable to place the board on a flat table without any tilt.
2. The doubling cube needs to be placed exactly in the middle of the board, which means on the bar with a face showing '64'.
3. Check whether the numbers are placed properly starting with 1 from the furthest right-up corner of yours and ending with the extreme left-bottom corners of yours.
4. Always count the points clockwise starting from the outer board.
5. Place five checkers on 6 point, three on the 8-point, five on 13 point and the balance two on the 24 point. The same rule is applicable to your opponent also.

Place yourself just opposite to your competitor bridging the board in between

Gaming rules

Generic

1. Throw a single die to decide the first move. Remember, the one who scores higher will move first. If the dice land on a checker or outside the board, then it is not counted. Throw the dice again if the dice shows the same point and continue until the difference is noticed.

2. Your moves are determined by throwing both the dice. 

3. Points are from 1 to 24. It starts with your furthest upper right-hand corner.

4. You may move the greater number, if you consider one of the two dice. You may move all the pips, as shown by the dice.

5. Your move must be in anti-clockwise direction. The same is applicable to your opponent also.

6. Move your checkers as you wish, but remember your ultimate goal is to place all the checkers in the home board. You must move onto open points only. You may move checkers in pairs or single.

7. If your checker lands up in a blot, then the competitor’s checker is removed and placed in the bar.

8. Once you complete moving all your checkers into the quadrant of the home board, start commencing bearing off.

Note:

The dice should be shaken vigorously inside the dice cup before 'tossing them out' for a proper bounce and free rolling. The reading can be taken only when both the die are completely resting flat on the board. Checkers need to be handled neatly and using one hand only.

Doubling Rules

The doubling cube is placed on the bar with the face showing 64 at the top. Once the double is announced by the first player and the second player (opponent) accepts the double then the doubling cube is handed over to the second player, who has accepted the double. This is a compensatory strategy, by which the second one gets the chance to take the exclusive control of announcing the next double.  The next double by the second one implies redouble, which means the stake has been further doubled. But again the second one will also announce the double if and only if he feels that game has turned into his favour. The redouble announced by the second one will be obligatory to the first one like the earlier. If the first one refuses, then the first one will concede the game.  Redouble simply quadruples the original value of the stake. Like the original 1 will become 4, 2 will become 8, 3 will become 12.

The Double and redouble need to be clearly, verbally announced and rejection to that effect may be announced as 'Pass'.

Gammon and Backgammon

If one has completed the bear of his all 15 checkers, at a stage, when the other has not been able to bear off even one of his 15 checkers, then the winner is rewarded gammon, which doubles the points. If the situation becomes like one has been able to accomplish bear off completely, while the other has got his checker or checkers on the bar or in his outer board (essentially being the winner’s home board), the winner is rewarded backgammon, which has got triple effect.

Jacoby Rule

The Jacoby Rule is named after the late great gamesman Oswald Jacoby. Jacoby rule states that gammon and backgammon will come into effect, if and only if the player has announced a double and accepted by the opponent. The Jacoby Rule is mostly applied in Money game to encourage a player for higher points in a game of double. This brings speed in the game, where the player never waits for the gammon or backgammon; rather he announces double for faster points. Jacoby rules are applicable essentially for money play but hardly used in Match play.

Crawford Rule

The Crawford rule is named after John R. Crawford. When either of the players is just short of one point from the victory, then the opponent cannot announce a double in the subsequent game. This particular game, where double is prohibited, is called the Crawford game. Scientifically, even if a double is announced and accepted by the player approaching the victory, it will be nullified because point 1 or 2 can create hardly any difference for him. Rather the double may benefit the opponent who is losing. But if the Crawford game remains indecisive in terms of final win or loss, then all the rules of double and redouble will be back in place in the subsequent games. This rule has been accepted worldwide. Even United States Backgammon Tournament Rules & Procedures follow Crawford rule at the closing stage of any tournament.

Holland Rule

It is an extension of Crawford rule where the rule says that after the Crawford game, the trailer can announce a double after completion of two valid rolls of both the players. But Holland rule could not sustain in the long run because of its confusing nature and complexity in implementation

Jacoby Rules and Crawford Rules are followed even in the online games today.  But the online competitors declare their special terms and conditions (if any) in their site very clearly for the convenience of the players, because you may find many players from different parts of the world are playing simultaneously in the same game.

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