The idea
The board has 24 narrow triangles called points. Each player moves their 15 checkers in opposite directions around the board toward their own "home" quadrant, then bears them off (removes them). First to bear off all 15 checkers wins.
Setup
Each player starts with the standard arrangement: 2 checkers on their farthest point, 5 on the mid-board point, 3 on a near point, and 5 on their innermost quadrant. (Look up a setup diagram once and it becomes second nature.) The two players move in opposite directions around the board.
Rolling and moving
On your turn, roll both dice and move checkers toward your home.
- Each die is a separate move — move one checker the first number and another the second, or the same checker for both moves in sequence.
- Roll doubles and you play that number four times instead of two.
- You can only land on a point that is open: empty, your own, or holding exactly one enemy checker.
Hitting and the bar
A point with a single enemy checker is a "blot." Land on it and you "hit" — the enemy checker goes to the center bar and must re-enter the board in your opponent’s home quadrant before they can make any other move. Two or more checkers on a point make it safe and block the opponent from landing there.
Bearing off
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home quadrant, you start bearing them off — removing a checker from a point that matches your die roll. If you’re hit during bear-off, you must bring that checker all the way around again before continuing. First player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game.