What Is Backgammon?
Backgammon — known in Turkey as tavla — is one of the oldest board games in the world, a two-player race driven by dice and decided by judgment. In Turkish culture it is the game of tea houses, family evenings and, increasingly, online tables. The dice bring luck; the choices you make with them decide who wins. This guide walks you through every core rule, from setup to the double-value win called mars.
The Board, Checkers and Setup
A backgammon board has 24 points, drawn as long triangles and grouped into four quadrants of six. Each player has 15 checkers, placed in a fixed starting position. The six points closest to you form your home board (inner board); the next six are your outer board, and your opponent's side mirrors yours. The goal is simple to state:
- Move all fifteen of your checkers around the board into your home board,
- Then bear them off — remove them from the board — before your opponent does.
Who Moves First?
To start the game, each player rolls one die, and the player with the higher roll moves first. If the dice tie, both players roll again. After the opening move, turns simply alternate, with each player rolling two dice on their turn.
How Moves Work
On your turn you roll two dice. Each die moves one checker that many points forward; you may move two different checkers or use both numbers on the same checker in two steps. Rolling a double (say 5-5) gives you the number four times. Checkers only ever travel in one direction — toward your own home board. If a legal move exists, you must play it; if no number can be played, your turn passes.
Points, Blots and Hitting
A point holding two or more of your checkers is a made point — your opponent cannot land there. Chains of made points are the walls of backgammon, cutting off your opponent's escape routes. A checker sitting alone on a point is a blot, and if an opposing checker lands on it, it is hit. A hit checker goes to the bar in the middle of the board and must re-enter in the opponent's home board, on a point matching one of your dice. While you have a checker on the bar, you may make no other move until it re-enters — and if the opponent's home board is closed with made points, you can lose whole turns waiting. That is why every blot you leave is a calculated risk.
Bearing Off
Once all fifteen of your checkers have reached your home board, the bear-off begins. Now each die removes a checker from the matching point. If that point is empty, you move a checker from further back instead; if your roll is higher than your rearmost checker's point, you may bear that checker off directly. If one of your checkers is hit during the bear-off, it returns to the bar, and you cannot continue bearing off until it has travelled home again.
Winning the Game — and Mars
The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins. If you finish while your opponent has not borne off a single checker, the win is a mars (known elsewhere as a gammon) and counts double. Mars is the sweetest win and the bitterest loss in tavla — it is how scores blow open.
The Turn Timer in Online Play
Online backgammon uses a per-turn time limit: when it is your move, you must play within the allowed seconds. This keeps tables flowing and stops anyone from freezing the game. It also quietly makes you a better player, because you learn to plan your likely moves while your opponent is still rolling.
Play Backgammon on Game Finale
Backgammon (Tavla) is live on Game Finale today. Play with the same account and virtual-chip wallet you already use, on server-authoritative fair-play tables in your browser or through the Android app. All chips are virtual: they have no real-money value and cannot be cashed out.