| If you find that you have some time on your hands, | | | | pieces are then placed on the board. It is cumbersome |
| and you want to find a new hobby, then perhaps | | | | to describe the setup using words. So refer to the |
| Backgammon may be a game that you wish to | | | | instructions on how to setup the board. |
| consider. Backgammon is a popular board game but | | | | The pieces should go something like: 5-3 on the home |
| it's unlike most other board games. It's fast moving, | | | | board, 2-5 on the outer board on the opponent side. |
| require some thinking skills, and exciting to watch. Here | | | | So that's a total of 15 pieces. The opponent player will |
| is how the game works. | | | | place the set pieces in the same way. |
| The game requires two players. Before the game | | | | Roll a die to determine which player starts first. The |
| starts, the game board needs to be setup. This can be | | | | one with the higher value will begin. Each player will |
| completed in just a few minutes. There are smaller | | | | hold a cup in a hand. Two dice are then rolled for |
| game sets that you can bring along if you are traveling. | | | | every turn. The dice roll will determine the number of |
| Usually, for Backgammon World Championships that | | | | points a checker can move in the counter-clockwise |
| you see on television, the boards are gigantic so that | | | | direction. For example, if a dice roll is 1-2, the player can |
| viewers can see the moves clearly. | | | | choose to move 1 checker by 3 points, or choose to |
| When you unfold the game board, there are two sides. | | | | move 1 checker by 1 point, and another by 2 points. |
| On each side, there is the home board, and there is the | | | | The game gets interesting because you cannot just |
| outer board. You will see a total of 24 triangles on the | | | | move your checker onto any point. If there is a single |
| board, with 12 on each side. The home board will have | | | | checker on a point, that checker is open to a hit. A |
| 6 triangles, and the outer board will also have 6. | | | | checker that is hit gets sent back, and you don't want |
| Sometimes, these triangles are also known as points. | | | | that to happen. |
| It's easier to refer to them as points when you label | | | | A checker can only land on a point that has no other |
| them the shapes from 1 to 24. So when we say point | | | | checkers, has checkers that belong to the player, or |
| 1, we know it's the first triangle. When we say point 24, | | | | has only 1 checker that belongs to the opponent. |
| we know it's the furthest triangle. | | | | Many different types of strategies can be used to |
| The game has a total of 30 pieces of checkers or | | | | play the game. With every dice roll, there are decisions |
| discs. These are in 2 different colors, such as black | | | | to be made. Although the game depends a little on |
| and white. Each player will choose a color. There are | | | | luck, a lot also rides on the player's skill level. |
| 15 pieces for each color. When the color is chosen, the | | | | |