Learning To Move Your Backgammon Chips
Next to setting up your backgammon board, choosing the color of your chips is an important decision prior to the start of the game. When it comes to moving your chips, there are specific guidelines that you need to follow in doing so.
The dice is an important tool in determining the movement of the chips. However, the movement of the chips is on a forward direction. Likewise, always remember that you are moving your chips towards the side of your opponent and vice versa. You need to make sure that your chips proceeds toward your inner board. The motion of your chips depends on the number that will be rolled on the dice. Because there are two dice, each stands for a single point. Let's say you get a 5 and 3, they represent five and three points on the board, respectively.
You then have an option to move one or two backgammon chips, which will be determined by your strategy and availability of the move. Thus, you can move two chips or move one checker eight points if there is an open spot available.
Determining a vacant spot is the harder part. The important thing you should be aware of is to make sure that a point contains less than two of your opponent's chips, in which case a block ensues, and you are prohibited from positioning your chips on the point. You will only be allowed to maneuver your chips on points that contain your own pieces, unoccupied, or which has a single of your opponent's pieces. If there is no legitimate move, then you lose a turn. There are certain instances when moving one chip is allowed. The only exception to the rule is in the case of doubles. Here, you have a lot of alternative move if you roll a double.
In addition, the moment your backgammon pieces land on a point where a single chip of your opponent is positioned, this is called a blot, which is considered as an attack in backgammon. When any of your pieces lands on a spot occupied by the chips of your opponent, the piece will be placed on the bar located at the middle of the board.
The advantage of a blot is that your opponent is not allowed to make any kind of move until there is a legitimate one. In this case, the backgammon piece of your opponent returns to the inner board. Unfortunately, the same scenario could be repeated but this time it involves you.
When your chips are already on your inner board, then the next move is to "bear off" all your pieces from the board with the help of the dice. If you are able to do so, then you are declared the winner. Likewise, if your opponent is not able to remove all their pieces from the backgammon board, it becomes a double victory.
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