How to Set Up Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games, having its origins in the ancient Persian empire. It is generally played on a wood surface, and over time the game pieces have been made from materials such as bones, wood, stones and pottery. Remnants of backgammon boards have been found not only in the relics of ancient Persia, but also in the Roman empire and in the homes of royalty. Backgammon is an easy game to learn and very simple to set up once you know the rules.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Backgammon board
• Player pieces

1. Verify that each player has 15 checkers of the same color. One player will have black pieces while the other will have white ones.

2. Lay out the backgammon board so that the wide part of the "points" on the board are in front of each player and the points get narrower going toward the other player. The center "bar" of the board should be at a 90-degree angle to the players and divide the board into two tables.

3. Moving clockwise from the lower right hand corner of the board, there are 24 points total on the two tables. Each person starts from the lower right hand corner of the board as his first point.

4. Lay out five checkers on point 6 for each player. Then place three checkers on point 8, five checkers on point 13 and two checkers on point 24.

5. Play starts with the first player using two dice and a dice cup.

Resources

• How to play backgammon