Backgammon Basics: The Equipment
We all have asked questions about the strange looking game on the other side of our chess boards or checkerboards. This has intrigued us all when we were little kids. Perhaps we have tried the game a bit after reading the instruction sheet. Only as we grow older do we realize how strategic and interesting backgammon really is.
Nowadays you can download free backgammon software or connect to backgammon servers to play backgammon on your computer. But what if you want to play backgammon on a real wooden board with some of your friends? What are the things do you need to play the game? Here is a simple list of things you will need so you can play backgammon.
Before we begin with the equipment, be sure you understand the basic rules of backgammon. At least be sure to know how to move backgammon checkers, hitting, entering, and bearing off. If any of the basics are not that clear, then you should review them before playing an actual game.
If you're ready to start the very first thing you need to get to start a backgammon game is another player. Like checkers or chess, backgammon is a game played by two players. It is a really lonely game if you play it all on your own.
Next item on your equipment list is the backgammon board. The main type of board you'll see on sale would be made of wood, but backgammon boards can also be made out of other materials. The really expensive boards would be ones that are hand crafted and carved on a table surface. The usual backgammon boards you'll find fold in half like a chess set so you can contain the other pieces of equipment.
The next piece of equipment would be 30 pieces of checkers. These would come in two colors (usually black or white though checkers also come in other colors). Each player gets 15 checkers from the set. Checkers are also referred to as pieces, men, or stones, so don't get confused when alternate terms are used.
The next piece of backgammon equipment would be dice. Each backgammon player gets a pair of dice. The dice are six-sided and would usually be evenly weighted. Along with the dice should come a couple of dice cups.
The last piece of equipment you'll need is the doubling cube. You'll find one extra piece of dice that seems to be bigger than the rest. The doubling cube will have the numbers 32, 16, eight, four, and two on it. These are all the equipment you need to play backgammon. Now you're ready to move off to game set up.
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