Backgammon for Kids

Backgammon rules for kids, in simple words

1. Each player has 15 checkers. Your job: walk all of them home and take them off the board first.
2. Roll two dice. Each die is one move. Rolled 5 and 2? Move one checker 5 and one checker 2 — or one checker 5 and then 2 more.
3. Rolled the same number twice? Lucky you — move that number four times.
4. You can't land where your opponent has two or more checkers. That point is blocked.
5. If your opponent has just one checker on a point, you can land on it and send it to the middle. It has to start again!
6. When all your checkers are in your home (the last six points), start taking them off with your dice.

That's the game. The full version, with the setup diagram, is in the one-page rules.

How to teach backgammon to a child, step by step

1. Start with a race. Stack each player's 15 checkers on their farthest point (the 24-point) and just race them home, no hitting: a point with any opposing checker is simply blocked. This teaches moving by the dice and which way to go.
2. Add blocking. Explain that two checkers together make a "house" nobody can land on.
3. Add hitting. Now a lone checker can be sent back. This is when kids start loving the game.
4. Use the real setup. Show the starting position — diagram here — and play full games.
5. Leave scoring for later. Don't worry about gammons or matches at first: whoever finishes first wins.

The step-1 race is a simplified cousin of long nardy, the game where nothing is ever hit. Some families teach that one first, because there's no "you sent me back!" drama.

Tips for playing with kids

• Let them count out loud. "Five: one, two, three, four, five." It's math practice they don't notice.
• Don't help too much. Let them find the move; point out a blocked point only if they try to land on it.
• Ask questions. "Where would you be safe?" teaches more than "move that one".
• Talk about luck. Backgammon is a good way to show that a bad roll isn't anyone's fault, and that good players still lose sometimes.
• Keep games short. One game at a time is plenty to begin with.

Playing online: what parents should know

• No ads. Nothing pops up, nothing to click away. See backgammon without ads.
• No free chat. Opponents can only send preset reactions — Hi, Good game, Nice move, Thanks and a few others. Zen mode in the settings hides even those.
• No sign-up needed. Guests can play everything; no email is collected.
• No playing for stakes.
• Offline-style options. Play the computer on Beginner, or play together on one tablet with Two players, one screen.
• Help built in. When a child taps a checker, the points it can move to light up, and any step can be undone before the move is confirmed.

Why backgammon is good for children

Backgammon has been played by families for centuries for a reason. Each turn is a small arithmetic problem with a choice attached: kids add dice, compare options and see the result immediately. Because dice add luck, a beginner can beat a more experienced player — which keeps children motivated in a way luck-free games often don't. And it's a game for two, at a table, face to face: a good habit in a world of solo screens.

Ready to go further? Backgammon for beginners explains the first simple strategies, in grown-up language.

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Updated: October 24, 2026