Number of Players: 2
Length of Game: 15 - 30 minutes
Difficulty of Game:
Strategic Depth:
Fun Factor:
Popularity at local game night:
Overview
Backgammon is a classic game that was invented centuries ago. I will not give a history lesson of the game, but I can safely say it is the oldest game I own (in terms of when the original game concept was invented). It is a very simple game where your general objective is to try and remove all of your pieces from the board before the opponent has the chance to remove all of his or hers.
Game Materials
This is hard to describe because this game is so common-place that it is going to vary widely. They have mini versions, travel versions with roll-out maps, antique-looking versions, etc. Pretty much, there is no way to describe what quality the game materials will be for your specific set. Mine was passed down from my father and folds up to the size of a small briefcase. I’m sure you can finder nicer and cheaper versions out there.
Play Summary
Disclaimer - there are many variants on how to play the game, some subtly different, some radically different. These are the rules I learned to play with.
The first turn starts with each player rolling one die. Whoever rolls higher gets to use those dice for movement. If there is a tie, the value of that game starts out doubled and the players reroll. After this point, play alternates from one player to the other. Each player is attempting to move their pieces to their home base. The home base is either the six spots closest to you. Which side depends on which way you move your pieces. If you move your pieces counter-clockwise, your base is the six spots on your right. If you move clockwise, it is the six spots on your left. One player moves in each direction. The side of the board that does not contain either home base is connected - i.e. moving one piece off the edge moves your piece to the next available spot on the opposite row. Pieces can only move forwards.
With your two dice you must move two pieces (or one piece twice) if you can. This is important. If you have multiple options, but only one option lets you use both dice, you have to use that option. Basically you take a piece and move it the number of spots that is written on the die. While you are moving, you can cross over any spot, but when you stop, it must be on a spot that is not protected by your opponent. A spot is considered protected if your opponent has two or more pieces on that spot. You should note that if you are moving the same piece twice, it must be able to make one movement at a time. For example, if you roll a four and a three, and both the four and three are protected, you cannot move that piece seven places even if seven places away is unprotected.
If you land on a spot that has only one opponent’s piece, that piece is placed on the bar in the middle of the board. It is possible to keep stacking up pieces on the bar; there is no limit to the number of pieces that can be placed there. If you have one or more pieces on the bar, you need to take them off before you can move any pieces on the board. You take them off by using a die. They come off in your opponent’s home base with 1 being the spot furthest away from your base, and 6 being next to the bar.
When you have all your pieces in your home base, you can start to remove them. Consider your spots are numbered with 1 being on the edge of the board and 6 being next to the middle. Every roll allows you to take off a piece if you have one in that spot. If you can move a piece that number of spaces, you can opt to do that instead of removing a piece. If you don’t have a piece on the number you rolled, you must move. The exception to this is if you have no higher pieces. For example, you have all of your pieces on the four spot and below, and you roll a five. In this situation you have no pieces on the five, or any higher slot (six). In this case, you can remove a piece on the four. Now, let’s say you also rolled a 3 and have no pieces on the 3. Then, you most move a piece that is on the four three spots to the 1.
A final rule on movement rolling doubles counts for four of that number. So double sixes is four 6’s. That will really get you moving!
And last but not least, the doubling cube. The cube starts out neutral. At any point before you rule, either player can take the cube and hand it to the other player. That player has the option to take it (and the game is worth double what it was previously), or to reject it and lose at the current value of the game. If the player accepts it, then he or she owns the doubling cube. At any point before that player rolls, he or she can give it to the opponent with the same rules as above. You then transfer ownership of the doubling cube if the opponent accepts.
Play Experience
This game is very easy to get a handle on and start playing. The strategy for the game in and of itself is not that hard. It usually becomes a weighted consideration; you might have a tendency to overprotect yourself in the beginning, and not leave single pieces hanging around to get hit. You will find that this can be dangerous because eventually, you have to leave yourself exposed unless you are incredibly lucky. As much as I’ve played this game, I’ve never seen anyone that lucky. Of course, going the opposite route of playing too risky means you will get hit a lot, and remember, each hit sends you back to your opponent’s base AND wastes a die roll. Finding that balance of risk and safety can be difficult at first.
But most players do settle into a balance. There is always a luck factor - there is almost always a time when a single roll good or bad, or a series, can decide the game or upset it. That cannot be denied. However, the key to the strategy in this game is trying to mitigate those risks as much as possible. It becomes a question of what risks are worth taking, and what are you setting yourself up for in the future?
A very good strategy for any player to try and accept is the building of "walls". These are a series of protected points. If it is inside your base, it covers up spots where your opponent will try to get in if they are hit. If it is outside the base, then it is something where the opposing player needs to jump over. You can completely stop your opponent with 12 pieces if you build a wall that is six spots long. Of course, at some point, you need to break up your wall so that you can remove your pieces. That is where timing is key.
However, the most important thing about this game in my opinion is the doubling cube. This is where the true strategy of backgammon comes into play. It doesn’t matter if your are playing for money (10 cents or 25 cents a point works well; 1 dollar a point gets pricey fast), food, or even just points. But you need to play for something. It’s like poker - if you aren’t actually betting anything, there is no reason not to accept a bet. The key to the doubling cube is that you want to hand it to your opponent when you are ahead. But, you don’t want to hand it over when you are so far ahead that they won’t want to take it. You definitely don’t want to hand it over when you are behind. This is where the game shines; reading and knowing your opponent outside of the game become at least as important as recognizing the board and where someone is strong or weak. I have played with many players who were really good at the game, but couldn’t handle the doubling cube. I’ve had runs where we win the same number of games, but one or the other is up by several points. It all comes down to the cube and how to use it; part skill, part psychology, and definitely part guts.
Notable Praise
This game is a classic, and it feels like it. For me, there is definitely some nostalgia involved playing this game because it is one of the first ones I was ever exposed to. That classic feeling is a good thing in my opinion.
The psychology factor of the doubling cube intrigues me. There is nothing I like better than giving or receiving the doubling cube when the game is a super-intense moment. It is wonderful to watch or feel the agony of going back and forth, weighing the options. I find that there are few games that put you in a tough decision-making position as backgammon does. If you know you are ahead, you hand over the cube, and your opponent hems and haws for a while; you handed it over at the perfect time.
Notable Gripes
Without the doubling cube involved, I find this game loses most of its interest for me. I can play a round or two, but then I am done with it and want to move on to something else. However, when I’ve had something weighing on the cube (again - even if you are just playing for points), I have gone for hours of playing this game non-stop until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I will say that I personally prefer playing for money over points, but I don’t personally have a problem with gambling and enjoy it in small amounts.
Summary
Backgammon is a very classic gambling game. If you approach it as a gambling game rather than a board game, I think you will get much more out of it. The key to the strategy element is the doubling cube. Without that, the strategy is very limited. Yes, there are options, considerations, risk/reward scenarios to run through your head. But, most of those are things that are not terribly complex and relatively easy for a player to get a handle on after several games. However, the doubling cube is something that takes a completely different level and type of strategy to master. This game is a staple, and one I will always pull out with certain friends, but it very rarely makes an appearance at game night.
Posted Tue May 19, 2009 5:46 am
