Backgammon Rules: Movement of Checkers
One of the very first things beginners will definitely ask about playing backgammon is how do the checkers move. Before continuing on with moving checkers, you should be familiar with setting up your backgammon board. If you've already got an idea on how to set up your backgammon board, then let's get on to moving your backgammon checkers.
The very first thing both players do to start the game is called the opening roll. In this stage, both players roll just one die each (during the rest of the game each backgammon player will use two dice). The player who gets the higher number in the opening roll gets to move checkers first.
In case of a tie, both players will roll dice again to break the tie in the opening roll. The backgammon player who wins in the opening roll will use the numbers that come out in the opening roll. It is impossible to move checkers with doubles in the opening roll.
Players move the backgammon checkers depending on what shows up on the dice. So, if a player gets a three in one dice, that player gets to move any checker three points along the board. The checkers move from the higher numbered points to the ace point (your one-point). Since your ace point and your opponent's one-point is on opposite sides of the backgammon board you'll notice that your checkers move in opposite directions.
The roll of the dice will tell how many pips (a.k.a. points) on the backgammon board do your checkers move. Remember that all backgammon checkers always move forward and never backward.
The next question regarding how to move checkers is where can the checkers land? Your checkers can only land on points or pips that are open or unoccupied by any checker. Your checkers can also move to a point occupied by one or more of your checkers.
Your checkers can also move to a pip that is occupied by only one enemy checker (this constitutes a hit sending that enemy checker to the bar). Your checkers cannot move to a point occupied by two or more enemy checkers however.
If in case you get a double when you roll dice you get to play what is shown on the dice twice. Getting two fives for instance means that you have four fives you can use. You can use any combination of checkers to use all of the four moves available to you. In case you can't use a move you get from the dice, you forfeit that move. You lose your turn if you can't use any of the dice results to make a move.
These are the rules regarding checker movement in backgammon. You'll get the hang of it once you get to play a few games and start to realize they're really very simple.