Support

Answers to common questions about Backgammon. If you still need help, write to us.

How do I play backgammon?

• Each player has 15 checkers. You move them around the board toward your home board, the last six points, in the opposite direction to your opponent.
• Roll two dice and move by each number. You can move one checker by both numbers or two checkers by one number each. A double is played four times.
• You may land on any point that has no more than one of your opponent's checkers. A point with two or more of theirs is blocked.
• Landing on a single opposing checker, a blot, hits it and sends it to the bar. A player with a checker on the bar must bring it back in before moving anything else.
• Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can start bearing them off. The first player to bear off all 15 wins.
• You must use as much of your roll as you legally can. Backgammon only lets you make legal moves, so you can learn as you play.

How do matchmaking and the bot work?

Pick a match length and choose Quick match. Backgammon pairs you with the next real player waiting for the same length. Quick matches are rated, so a win raises your rating and a loss lowers it. You are never paired with a player you have blocked, or one who has blocked you. If nobody is waiting, you wait in the queue until someone joins. We never swap in a bot.

You can also play against the bot at Easy, Medium or Hard, play a friend, or play pass-and-play on one device. Bots are always labeled, for example "Bot (Hard)", and never pretend to be people. Bot and pass-and-play matches do not change your rating.

How do the clocks work?

Online matches use a clock so nobody can stall. You get 12 seconds free for every action, such as rolling or moving. If you take longer, the extra time comes out of your time bank. Your time bank starts at one minute for each point in the match, plus one more minute. For example, a 5-point match gives you a 6-minute time bank. If your time bank runs out, you lose the match.

What if I leave or lose my connection?

If you leave an online match, or stay disconnected for 90 seconds, you forfeit it. If your connection drops, open Backgammon again on the same device as soon as you can and you will rejoin the match where you left off.

How do I restore my player with a recovery code?

Your player is linked to this browser. To keep it safe, make a recovery code in the game and write it down somewhere private. To restore your player on a new device or after clearing your browser, open Backgammon, choose to restore with a recovery code, and type it in. Making a new code replaces the old one. Anyone with your code can use your player, so do not share it. If you sign in with Powell Play, you can also continue your player that way.

How do I report a player?

Use Report on the player in the game, during or after a match, and pick a reason. The report includes the match, so we can look at what happened. You can also Block the player, so you are never matched with them in Quick match again. We review reports and act on players who break our terms, for example by cheating, harassing, or using an abusive name. Chat in Backgammon is preset quick-chat phrases only, so nobody can send you free-typed messages.

Are the dice fair?

Yes, and you can prove it. Before each match our server commits to a secret seed, your browser adds its own seed, and after the match the secret is revealed so anyone can recompute every roll. See Fair dice to learn how it works and check any match.

I bought Backgammon Pro. Can I get a refund?

Yes, within 30 days. Email us with the purchase date. See the refunds policy.

How do I delete my data?

Go to Delete your data. You can delete the player on this device, or use a recovery code. This removes your player, stats, badges and sessions. Our privacy policy explains what we keep and for how long.