How to Move Checkers in Backgammon With Two Dice

Every turn starts with a roll of two dice, and you choose which checkers they move. Here the dice are already rolled for you.

Step 1 of 4

Each die is a move
The two dice are two separate moves. This roll is 5-2. One checker moves 5 points, from your 13-point to your 8-point, and another moves 2, from your 13-point to your 11-point. A die you have played fades out.

Players write a move as the point it starts on and the point it ends on, so this turn is 13/8 13/11.
One checker, both dice
Both dice can move the same checker, one after the other. It stops on the point in between, so that point has to be open: empty, holding your own checkers, or holding a single White checker, which you then hit. A point with two or more White checkers is blocked, and nothing can land on it.
Your move
Move one of your back checkers ten points along the arrow, using both dice.
Two checkers, one die each
Or split the dice between two checkers. The stars mark where this 6-3 can take two of them.
Your move
Move one checker to each star, one with the 6 and one with the 3.
When only one die can be played
You have to play both dice whenever you can. Here you can't. The only checker that can move is the one on your 24-point: the 6 takes it to one star and the 2 to the other, but from either star the die that's left would land on your 16-point, which White holds. Your other checkers can't move at all, because a 2 or a 6 would carry them off the board, and you can't bear off until all 15 are home.

Which die must you play?
Question

What you learned

Each die is a separate move. One checker can take both, or two checkers can take one each.
A checker can land on an empty point, on your own checkers or on a single White checker, but never on two or more White checkers.
When one checker plays both dice, the point it stops on in between must be open too.
Play both dice if you can. If only one can be played, play the larger one if it can be played.

Unit 1The rules

Unit 2First strategy

Take it to the table.

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