Winning at Backgammon: Gammons and Backgammons
The first side to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game. How far behind the loser is decides what kind of win it is.
Step 1 of 3
Bear off the last two
You have two checkers left, on your 6- and 4-points, and you rolled 6-4. Take them both off and you win. Played carelessly, a roll like this can leave a checker behind.
Your move
Bear off both of your last checkers.
A gammon
If you bear off all 15 before White has borne off a single checker, you win a gammon. Here White hasn't borne off any, and some of its checkers are still outside its home board. Watch your last two come off.
When backgammon is played for points, a gammon counts double, and a backgammon, which is a gammon where the loser still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, counts triple. Playboard plays one game at a time, with no match score and no doubling cube, so a gammon counts as one win, for your rating too. It does earn you an achievement.
Gammon or not?
You've just borne off your last checker. All 15 of White's checkers are in its home board, but it hasn't borne any off yet.
What kind of win is it?
What you learned
- The first side to bear off all 15 checkers wins.
- A gammon is a win before the loser has borne off any checker. A backgammon is a gammon where the loser still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board.
- On Playboard a gammon counts as one win, for your rating too, and it earns an achievement.
In this course
Unit 1The rules
- The Backgammon Board: Points, Quarters and Direction
- How to Move Checkers in Backgammon With Two Dice
- Rolling Doubles in Backgammon: Four Moves, Not Two
- Hitting a Blot in Backgammon: Blots and the Bar
- How to Enter From the Bar in Backgammon
- How to Bear Off in Backgammon
- Winning at Backgammon: Gammons and Backgammons
Take it to the table.
Put what you just read into practice. No sign-up needed.