Do you have to use both dice in backgammon?
Yes, whenever you legally can. That one rule settles most arguments over a board, and it has a few corners worth knowing. Here are those, and the other rules that cause the most disputes.
The rule
You must play as much of your roll as the position allows. In order:
- If there is any way to play both numbers, you must play both.
- If you can play only one of them, you play that one.
- If you could play either one but not both, you must play the larger.
- If you cannot play either, your turn passes.
You choose the order, and you can use one checker for both numbers or a different checker for each. Each number is a separate move, so the point where a checker stops in between has to be open.
A forced move
The rule matters most when the only way to use both numbers is a play you would never choose.
The larger-die rule
Say you roll 6-4. The 6 has a legal move and so does the 4, but playing either one leaves the other blocked. You may not choose: the 6 must be played. This comes up most when your checkers are trapped behind a wall of points, and players often get it wrong in favour of the smaller, safer number.
Doubles
A double gives you four moves of that number, in any mix of checkers. The same principle applies: play as many of the four as you legally can. If only two can be played, you play two and the rest are lost. See backgammon dice for the rest of the rules on rolling.
Can you move backwards?
No. Your checkers travel in one direction only, from your 24-point around to your 1-point, and your opponent's go the opposite way. A hit checker is the only one that returns: it goes to the bar and enters again at the start. This is true of nearly every version of the game, including acey-deucey.
Can you skip a turn?
Not by choice. Late in a game this hurts: a forced 6 can break a point you have held all game. You pass only when no legal move exists, for example when a checker on the bar cannot enter.
Other common disputes
- Can you land on your own checkers? Yes, with no limit on how many share a point.
- Can you land on your opponent's checkers? Only if there is one. A lone checker is hit; two or more block the point.
- Can you hit two checkers in one turn? Yes. One checker can even hit with the first number and carry on with the second.
- Can you jump over blocked points? Yes, as long as the point you land on is open. Only six in a row, a prime, cannot be jumped.
- Can you bear off with a checker on the bar? No. All 15 checkers must be in your home board, and a hit checker must come all the way back first. See bearing off.
- Can you bear off with a number higher than your highest point? Yes, from your highest occupied point, but only when no checker sits on a higher one.
Try it
Backgammon Lounge only ever offers legal plays, including the larger-die rule, so it is an easy way to learn these without arguing. Start a game, keep the printable rules nearby for a real board, or read the full how to play.
Questions
Do you have to use both dice in backgammon?
Yes, whenever any legal sequence lets you. If one order uses both numbers and another uses only one, you must choose an order that uses both, even if you would rather not.
What if you can only use one die?
Play it. If you could play either number but not both, the rule is that you must play the larger one. If the larger has no legal move, play the smaller.
Can you move backwards in backgammon?
No. Your checkers only ever move one way, from your 24-point toward your 1-point. The only time a checker goes back is when it is hit, and then it restarts from the bar.
Can you skip your turn in backgammon?
No. You must play every number you legally can, even when every move hurts your position. You only pass when no legal move exists.
Can one checker use both dice?
Yes. It moves one number and then the other, and the point it stops on in between must be open. If both middle points are blocked, a single checker cannot play the whole roll.
How many checkers can you stack on one point?
As many as you like. There is no limit in standard backgammon, although a tall stack is usually poor play.
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