The Basic Rules of Backgammon By Fadi Bejjani

Introduction• Fadi “F. J.” Bejjani currently works as the director of clinical

research with American CryoStem, LLC in Eatontown, New Jersey. When he is not working, Fadi Bejjani enjoys spending time with his children, playing games such as backgammon.

A backgammon board unfolds into two adjoining rectangles. Each player’s side of the board is separated by a bar into the outerboard on one side and the player’s home board on the opposite side. All four sections of the board feature six triangles of alternating colors, for a total of 24 triangles. The points of these triangles are numbered based off of the respective player’s home board. The outermost point for one player is numbered 24, while the same point marks the first point for the second player. The objective of the game is to move all 15 game pieces around the board and home.

Backgammon• To move a piece, players each roll a single die. The

player with the higher roll moves first and follows the number on his or her initial roll. From that point forward, the players alternate rolling two dice. The number on each die represents a separate move. For example, an individual who rolls a 2 and a 6 can move one piece two points and another piece six points. Pieces can only come to rest on an open point. A player can use both rolls on a single piece, but both the first and final resting points must be open. If a player rolls doubles, that player can use the number rolled on four pieces or four total times.