Bearing Off in Backgammon and Long Nardy

When you can start bearing off

Your home board is the last quarter of the board on your path — six points, numbered 1 to 6 from the edge. You can start bearing off only when all 15 of your checkers are inside it. In backgammon that also means no checker of yours is on the bar.

Backgammon rules for bearing off

1. Exact number. A die removes a checker from the point with the same number: a 4 bears off from the 4-point, a 6 from the 6-point.
2. Empty point, checkers higher up. If the matching point is empty but you have checkers on higher points, you can't bear off with that die — you must move a checker from a higher point inside your home board.
3. Empty point, nothing higher. If there are no checkers on the matching point or above it, a higher number bears off a checker from your highest occupied point.

On top of that, the usual rule applies: play both dice if you can (doubles four times). And you're never forced to bear off — if you prefer, you can use a die to move a checker inside your home board instead.

Examples

Take the position in the diagram above: White has 4 checkers on the 6-point, 3 on the 5, 3 on the 4, 2 on the 3, 2 on the 2 and 1 on the 1.

• 6-5: one checker off from the 6-point and one from the 5-point.
• 4-4: the first three 4s bear off the three checkers on the 4-point. The 4-point is now empty, but there are still checkers on the 5 and 6, so the fourth 4 has to be a move: 6→2 or 5→1.
• 2-1: bear off from the 2-point and the 1-point — or, if you prefer, move checkers down inside the home board.

Now a late position: White has just two checkers left, one on the 4-point and one on the 2-point.

• 6-2: nothing is on the 6-point or above, so the 6 bears off the checker from the 4-point (the highest one). The 2 bears off the checker on the 2-point. Game over.
• 3-1: neither die can bear off straight away: the 3-point and the 1-point are empty and the 4-point checker is higher. Move first — 4→1 with the 3, then bear it off with the 1 (or 4→3 with the 1, then bear it off with the 3). One checker is left on the 2-point.

Order of the dice matters

You choose which die to play first, and that can change what the second one does. With checkers on the 5-point and the 2-point and a roll of 6-3: play the 6 first and it bears off the checker from the 5-point (the highest); then the 3 has nothing on the 3-point or above, so it bears off the checker on the 2-point. Two checkers off.

Getting hit while bearing off (backgammon)

In backgammon your opponent may still have checkers behind you. If one of your blots is hit during the bear-off, that checker goes to the bar. You have to bring it back in and all the way to your home board before you can bear off again — a costly setback in a close race.

Bearing off in long nardy

The bear-off rules in long nardy are exactly the same: all 15 checkers in the home board, the exact number bears off, an empty point means a move inside home, and a higher number with nothing above it bears off from the highest point. Since nothing is ever hit in long nardy, once a checker is home it stays home.

Why bearing off decides the score

If your opponent bears off all 15 before you've taken off a single checker, you lose a gammon — a mars in nardy — worth 2 points. In backgammon it's a backgammon (3 points) if you also still have a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board. So when you're losing the race, getting at least one checker off matters. More in gammon and backgammon.

Bear-off tips

• Bring checkers in efficiently. Before the bear-off, aim to land checkers on the high points of your home board rather than wasting pips moving deep.
• Spread your checkers. Gaps on some points mean some numbers won't bear anything off; an even spread uses more of your rolls.
• Safety first while there's contact. In backgammon, if your opponent still holds a point in your home board or has a checker on the bar, avoid leaving blots, even if it means bearing off one checker fewer.
• Once the race is pure, take checkers off. With no contact left, bear off whenever you can.

The complete rules: backgammon rules and long nardy rules.

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Updated: October 23, 2026