Free Backgammon

Free Backgammon - Moving Your Checkers

In both free backgammon, and backgammon for real money, you must always move your checkers forward around the board which is done according to the numbers shown on the dice. There are four rules that control the movement of checkers and they are as follows. Acccording to the first rule you can consider the numbers on the dice as two separate moves or as one move which means that you can either use the full amount to move only one checker, or use each of the two numbers to move separate checkers. Let's take the following example - you roll a five and a four, so you can now move one checker nine spaces, or move one checker five spaces and another checker four spaces. However, if you want to move one checker only, at least one of the two moves of the dice must be possible (in our case either the four, or the five, or both). The second rule of free backgammon indicates that you can only move a checker to a point that is occupied by your checkers or to one that has at most one of your opponent’s checkers on it. According to the third rule, if you roll the dice and the same number comes up on both dice (which is known as rolling doubles), you may move double the amount shown, for instance if you roll a double five, you are allowed to move five points four times (regardless of the combination). Roll the most doubles and you will usually win the free backgammon game. And last but not least, if it is possible, you have to use the full roll (including doubles). However, if either of the two numbers is playable, but not both, you must use the higher one and if you roll doubles, but cannot play them all, you must use as many as possible.

Free Backgammon - Opening Moves In Backgammon

The opening moves in free backgammon have been studied carefully over the years with all kinds of methods, including computer programs, personal skill and intuition. So, most experts agree nowadays that there is one best opening move for every possible combination of the dice. This means that making an opening move other than what the backgammon experts recommend will most probably lessen your odds of winning the free backgammon game. To put it that way - if you want to win more often you will simply have to learn the best backgammon opening moves by heart or simply keep a list of them handy the next time you play. What is even more, if you want to sharpen your skills, you will not merely have to know these moves, but also understand the reasons behind each one, which is something you best get by practicing free backgammon and after that practicing some more.

Free Backgammon - Blots

In free backgammon, a single checker on a point is referred to as a blot. An important rule of free backgammon is that checkers of different colors are not allowed not inhabit the same point, so a blot has to be removed if an opponent's checker lands on it (which is called the hit) and be put on the bar.