Think about both dice
Consider the roll as a pair. You must use as many values as legally possible; if only one of two values can be played, the higher one must be used.
BACKGAMMON IN HAPPY GAMESBackgammon The dice set the pace.
Backgammon The dice set the pace.
You choose the move.
Bring fifteen checkers around the board and be the first to bear them off. Every roll opens a new set of possibilities.
After opening Happy Games, choose Backgammon in the catalogue.
2 players15 checkers eachShort & long variantsTwo dice
Bring all 15 checkers into your home board, then bear them off before your opponent.
Happy Games offers short and long backgammon. This demo uses the short variant with a fixed roll of 3 and 1.
FROM THE RULES TO YOUR FIRST MOVE
Go on. It is your turn.
Choose a spot on the board
or watch the moves play out.
BackgammonGuided demo
01 / 02Select the highlighted spot or “Next move”
TRY IT NOWOne little move.
One little move.
Now you get it.
A quick example of how the game works. Full games and friend invitations are in Telegram.
LET’S TAKE IT STEP BY STEP
How to play Backgammon
- 01
Choose the variant first
Short backgammon starts with checkers spread across the board. In the long variant, all 15 checkers start on a single point called the head.
- 02
Use the dice
Each die gives a separate move. Move different checkers or move one twice, provided every intermediate move is legal. Doubles give four moves of the same value.
- 03
Short: blocked points and hits
You cannot land on a point occupied by two or more opposing checkers. A single opposing checker can be hit and sent to the bar.
- 04
Short: re-enter from the bar
If you have a checker on the bar, you must bring it back into play before moving other checkers. Its entry point depends on the dice; blocked entry points can leave you without a legal move.
- 05
Long: no hitting
Opposing checkers cannot be hit, and their occupied points are unavailable. Usually only one checker may leave the head per turn; on an opening double of 3–3, 4–4 or 6–6, two may leave. A six-point block may not trap all opposing checkers behind it.
- 06
Bear off your checkers
Bearing off begins once all your checkers are in your home board. Use the exact die value, or use a higher value for your farthest checker when none of your checkers remain farther away.
A LITTLE TACTICAL THINKINGAlready planning
Already planning
your next move?
Keep your options open
Too many checkers on one point can limit your next move. In short backgammon, also watch your exposed single checkers.
A FEW USEFUL DETAILS
About this game
What is the main difference between short and long backgammon?
The starting position, movement direction and hitting rules differ. The short variant has hits and a bar; the long variant does not.
Are the dice random in this demo?
No. The roll is fixed at 3 and 1 so you can study the example at your own pace. A full game has its own rolls.
Is this a real-money game?
This website demonstrates a board game. It has no cash stakes, prize pools or promises of financial winnings.
TRY A DIFFERENT KIND OF GAME
All six games →What shall we play next?
HAPPY GAMES IN TELEGRAM
Open Happy Games ↗Ready for a real game?
Open Happy Games in Telegram and choose Backgammon.