Backgammon
Race your fifteen home, and double when you are ahead
Two dice, 15 checkers each, and a cube that doubles the stakes. Play a match against a bot that runs in your browser.
Against a bot, no account and no download: your browser throws the dice.
How a turn goes
Every turn is the same three things, and the game is in how you weigh them.
Roll
Two dice, and each number is a move for one checker. A double is played four times.
Move
Two checkers of yours make a point the opponent cannot land on. One alone is a blot, and a blot can be hit.
Double
Before you roll, you may double the stakes. The opponent takes and plays on for twice as much, or drops and loses the game.
Hitting
A blot hit goes back to the start
A checker standing alone can be hit by any of the opponent's that lands on it. It goes to the bar, comes in again in the opponent's home board, and has the whole board to travel again.
4 levels
A bot for every stage of your game
Each level plays from the board alone, as you do. The higher ones slip less often, look further, and know when to turn the cube.
- 1
Beginner
Plays a random legal move once in every 3. Never doubles, and takes every double.
- 2
Casual
A random move once in 8, and sensible otherwise. Never doubles, and takes every double.
- 3
Steady
Slips once in 20. Doubles and takes by the rules of thumb strong players use.
- 4
Sharp
Never slips. Weighs your best reply to each of its best few plays before it moves, and handles the cube.
+2.6
points a game that level 4 wins over level 1, with the cube in play.
Measured over 300 games, each played twice with the same dice and the seats swapped.
Built to play properly
Backgammon or nardi
Backgammon, or long nardi, where nothing is hit and the fight is to block. A match to 1, 3, 5 or 7 points, and backgammon with the doubling cube or without it.
Real match scoring
Gammons count two, backgammons three, the cube multiplies them, and the Crawford game is played without it.
Dice nobody knows in advance
Each roll comes from your browser's secure random source at the moment it is needed, and not before.
Made for your phone
The board fills the screen, upright or sideways, and every checker is a tap away.
Three languages
English, Russian and German, rules included.
Ready for a match?
The bot is waiting, and the dice are fair.