Backgammon, << BAK gam uhn, >> is a game for two people played with a rectangular board and dice. The board is divided into halves by a vertical bar. One half of the board is the inner table, or inner board. The other half is the outer table, or outer board. The half of the inner table nearest the player is called the home board.
A backgammon board has 24 spear-shaped divisions called points grouped into 4 sections of 6 points each. Players begin the game by placing 15 dark or light men (checkers) on their starting points. Players move their men from point to point by throwing two dice from a cup. A man may not land on a point containing two or more opposing men. If a man lands on a single opposing man, that opposing man is placed on the bar. A man on the bar must be reentered, in the opponent’s home table, before any other men of the same color can be moved. When all the player’s men are in the home table, the player may begin to remove them from the board. The first player to move all 15 men off the board wins.
In the 1900’s, a doubling cube was added to backgammon. The cube is shaped like a die with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces. At the start of a game, the cube’s 64 side is turned up. At any time during the game, a player who is about to throw the dice may offer the cube to another player, turning it so the 2 is on top. The opponent must then accept the cube or pass. Passing means conceding the game. The opponent who accepts the double gains possession of the cube. Before each turn, whoever owns the cube has the option of turning the cube to the next highest number and offering it to the other player, forcing that player either to pass or accept the redoubled stakes. The doubling cube greatly increases the importance of skill in backgammon while reducing the element of luck. The cube is used mainly in games played for money—to increase the stakes—and in tournament games, where the cube increases the number of points a player can win in a match.
