Board setup and direction of movement
Each player begins with fifteen checkers in the standard starting position. The goal is to move every checker into your home board and bear them off before the opponent.
A roll supplies two movement values. They may be used by different checkers or, when legal, by one checker in sequence. A double provides four moves of the same value.
Backgammon Quest promotes fair competition, strategy, discipline and respect for players.
Open points, hits and the bar
A checker may land on an empty point, a point occupied by your own checkers, or a point containing one opposing checker. Landing on a single opposing checker hits it and sends it to the bar.
A player with a checker on the bar must re-enter it into the opponent home board before moving any other checker. If no legal entry exists, the unusable part of the turn is lost.
Bearing off and completing the game
You may begin bearing off only after all fifteen checkers are in your home board. Use exact rolls when possible and follow the usual highest-checker rule when an exact point is unavailable.
Before playing online, review the match settings on Backgammon Quest because optional rules and available formats can differ.
Questions and answers
Can I move one checker twice in a turn?
Yes, if both intermediate and final points are legal. The dice still count as separate moves.
What happens after a checker is hit?
It is placed on the bar and must re-enter before any other checker can move.
When may I start bearing off?
Only when all your checkers are inside your home board.
Put the rules into practice
Open Backgammon Quest, choose an available short backgammon format and check the match conditions before starting.
Find a match