Can You Move One Checker Twice in Backgammon?

The short answer

Each die is a separate move, but nothing says the two moves must be made by different checkers. Roll 6-2 and you can move one checker 6 and another 2, or move one checker 6 and then 2 — 8 points in total. It's one of the most common questions from new players, and the answer is the same in backgammon and in long nardy.

The catch is the word "then". A checker doesn't fly over the board with the sum of the dice; it makes two hops.

The rule about the stop in between

When one checker plays both dice, it actually lands on the point after the first die. That point has to be legal for it, just like any ordinary move:

• in backgammon a point is closed if two or more of your opponent's checkers are on it;
• in long nardy a point is closed if any opposing checker is on it.

You can choose the order. With 6-2 the checker can go 6 then 2, or 2 then 6. If one of the two intermediate points is open, the move is fine. If both are closed, that checker can't play the whole roll — though another checker might still be able to play one die or both.

Doubles: up to four hops

A double gives you four moves of the same number. One checker can take all four: with 4-4 it travels 16 points, stopping on three points along the way, and every one of them must be open. You can also share the moves — two checkers moving 8 each, or one moving 12 and another 4. More examples are on the doubles page.

Hitting on the way

In backgammon, if the intermediate point holds a single opposing checker (a blot), your checker hits it as it lands there and then carries on with the second die. So one checker can even hit twice in one turn: once on the stop in between and once on the final point. In long nardy there's no hitting at all, so a point with an opposing checker is simply closed. Details: hitting in backgammon.

Special cases

• Checker on the bar. In backgammon you must bring every checker in from the bar first. If you have one checker on the bar and enter it with one die, that same checker may then use the other die.
• The head in long nardy. Only one checker may leave the head per turn, so with 5-3 you can't move two head checkers — but the one that left can play both dice. The exception is the first turn with 6-6, 4-4 or 3-3.
• Bearing off. One checker can use a small die to move inside your home board and then bear off with the other, if the numbers allow it.
• You can't split a die. A 6 is always one move of 6 — you can't play it as 4 and 2.

How NARDEON handles it

Tap or click a checker and the board highlights every point it can reach, including the total of both dice when the stop in between is open. You can play the dice one at a time and press Undo step before Done if you change your mind. The game never offers an illegal move, so it's a quick way to check a rule you're not sure about — against the computer, with a friend or on one screen.

Play for freeNo sign-up, no download — right in your browser

Updated: October 23, 2026