How to Set Up a Backgammon Board
Setting up takes less than a minute once you know the pattern, but a wrong set-up ruins a game before it starts. This page covers what comes in the box, which way the board should face, how the points are numbered and where every checker goes. Once the board is ready, our step-by-step directions take you through the first game.
What you need
- A board with 24 points (long triangles) in four quarters of six, divided down the middle by the bar.
- Thirty checkers, fifteen of each color.
- Two dice for each player, or one shared pair, and ideally a dice cup each.
- A doubling cube, marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64, if you play matches.
Which way the board faces
Sit facing your opponent with the bar running between you, from your side of the table to theirs. The quarter of the board nearest you on one side is your home board, and the quarter next to it, across the bar, is your outer board. Your opponent's home and outer boards are on the far side. Home boards sit directly opposite each other.
Whether your home board is on your right or your left does not matter. Both layouts are correct, and you will see both in clubs, books and on screen. The mirrored set-up plays exactly the same; only the direction of travel around the board changes. Agree on it before you start, and make sure both home boards are on the same side of the bar.
How the points are numbered
Points are numbered from each player's own point of view. Your 1-point is the point in your home board farthest from the bar, at the edge of the board. Counting toward the bar, your home board holds points 1 to 6, your outer board 7 to 12, your opponent's outer board 13 to 18 and your opponent's home board 19 to 24. Your 24-point is your opponent's 1-point, your 13-point is their 12-point, and so on: the two numbers for any point always add up to 25. Numbers are not printed on most boards, so it helps to learn them by heart.
Where the checkers go
| Point | Checkers | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| 24-point | 2 | Deepest point of the opponent's home board |
| 13-point (midpoint) | 5 | Outer edge of the opponent's outer board |
| 8-point | 3 | Your outer board, one point from the bar |
| 6-point | 5 | Your home board, next to the bar |
That is 2 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 15 checkers. Your opponent places theirs in the same pattern from their own side, so the two layouts mirror each other. A quick check: your 6-point and 8-point stacks should be in your own half of the table, separated by the bar and the empty 7-point, which is called the bar point.
A quick way to check
Count your pips. Multiply each point number by the checkers on it: 2 x 24 + 5 x 13 + 3 x 8 + 5 x 6 = 167. Both players start with exactly 167 pips. If your count is different, a checker is out of place. Pip counting is useful all game long; see backgammon math for how to use it.
Cube and dice
In match play the doubling cube starts in the middle, on the bar, with 64 facing up. That means the game is worth one point and either player may offer the first double. Each player keeps their dice and cup on their own side and rolls into the half of the board to their right.
Choosing a board
Folding boards with a felt or leather surface are the most common. Travel sets are smaller and close with the checkers inside. Bigger boards with heavy checkers and precision dice are pleasant for long sessions, but any board with 24 points works. What matters is that the set-up is right and both players know which way they are moving.