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This game is best learnt
from a good book. Find them in Book
Review. Here we give an overview of the rules which in any case very
simple. Beginners must keep in mind that the purpose of this game is to gamble
on its eventual outcome. It has little merit without the inclusion of equity
calculations that go along with it.
 The Backgammon board and starting position of the chequers is
shown in the picture. The bottom left is White's homeboard and the top left is
Black's. The points are merely numbered for our reference and not actually in
real play.
The object of the game is
for White to move all its pieces into the homeboard and then bear them
off. Black has the same aim as well as to slow down or completely prevent the
opponent from doing so.
The play is
simple and controlled by rolling dice, each player moving in tern after
throwing a pair of them. Checkers are moved along a number of points according
to the value on each die thrown. The game is a contact struggle and lone
chequers can be hit by the opponent chequers should they be moved onto
the same point.
Basic Rules
- Checkers must be moved
exact numbers on the dice
- Checkers can only land
on points occupied by their own men, empty points or points with only one
opponent checker resident
- Points are made
by having two or more resident checkers
- Single checkers can be
hit by an opponent checker landing on the same point
- Hit checkers
must move to the bar and re-enter the game at the next
opportunity
- Checkers must re-enter
in the opponents homeboard by placing them on the points with associated
numbers as rolled by the dice
- Dice should be rolled
using a Dice Cup
The Bear Off occurs only when a player has all their
men inside their homeboard. Now checkers can be removed from points and
taken out of the game by rolling numbers corresponding to the point numbers. A
number rolled that has no checker on that point can be played by a checker on
another point. The first player to bearoff all checkers is the
winner.
Gambling in backgammon is
more than half of the skill. Beginners should consider it their aim to reach a
position where they can play for small stakes in order to begin to comprehend
this aspect of the game. The calculations needed to understand this part of the
game are simple but must be adhered to correctly and this makes for added spice
in important matches between players.
The
Cube is a device in Backgammon that determines the ultimate stake. A
cube has six sides and the one used in this game has numbers on every side,
starting with 2 and doubling with 4, 8, 16, 32 and up to
64. Each value is a multiple of the unit stake agreed before the game
begins. The Cube is offered when one player considers it worth their
while to double the stakes, that is they offer the Cube at the 2
level. If the opponent refuses the increase of stake then they automatically
forfeit the game at the current stake, called dropping. The
accepter of the Cube retains ownership until the game ends or such time
as they wish to double the stakes themselves, when they in turn can
offer the Cube back to the opponent at a higher level. In this way the
amount of money played for in one game can escalate dramatically and is thus a
very important consideration in the game of Backgammon. Ownership of the Cube
means the other player cannot offer it again.
Gammons and Backgammons are also called Doubles and
Trebles. Each game begins having a value of 1 point or 1 unit
stake of money. Should one player win by removing all their pieces without the
opponent removing one, then this is called a Gammon and scores double
the number of points being played for at the end of the game. Also if a player
removes all their checkers and the opponent still has a checker in the players
homeboard (without having taken a man off) then this is a Treble game,
or Backgammon, and it scores triple the stake level at the end of the game.
Therefore, if the Cube was on 4 at the end of a game and the result is a
Double Game, then the winner wins 8 points, or 8 units of the
stake. A Treble game would result in a 12 point win!
Matches are a way of providing a target for the
players to reach without necessarily having to use money. It also gives purpose
to the Cube without direct financial consideration and thus a useful learning
tool for beginners. Put simply, players start each game playing for 1
point, or unit, and can win the match by obtaining, or scoring, a predetermined
amount. i.e. first to reach 7 points is a 7 point match.
Tournaments use the Match format to
decide the winner between two players and the overall structure is a knockout
event like the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. In the beginning there may be
128 players and after the first round that will be halved to 64 and then 32
after the second round. Then 16, 8 (quarter finals), 4 (semi-finals) and the
last 2 play the final. Tournaments have entry fees which combined together
provide prize money for the last four players. Some big tournaments even
attract sponsorship.
Chouette is a
form of Backgammon designed to allow more than two players to play at once. The
rules of play can be complex and must be agreed in advance. Basically the
system of play is to select one person to play on their own, a position known
as the Box and others play the Box as a team. Only one member of the
Team rolls the dice and plays the checkers but the others can consult
over decisions that have to be made. If the Box player wins the game then they
remain as the Box and another team member becomes the Captain of the
team and that carries on until the Box loses. When the Box loses they become
part of the team, at the back of the rotation order, and the victorious Team
Captain becomes the new Box.
The implications of being the Box are that you
are playing several people at once and therefore several times the stake. This
needs to be treated carefully. |
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