How many checkers does each player have in backgammon?

Fifteen each, thirty on the board in total. They start in four stacks: two on the 24-point, five on the 13-point, three on the 8-point and five on the 6-point.

Which direction do the checkers move?

Each player moves toward their own home board, so the two players move in opposite directions around the board. White travels from the 24-point down to the 1-point; Black travels the same path the other way.

Who goes first in backgammon?

Each player rolls a single die. The higher number goes first and plays both dice as the opening move. If the numbers are equal, both players roll again.

Is the starting position the same in every backgammon variant?

No. The 2-5-3-5 position is standard backgammon. Variants such as Nackgammon and Hypergammon start differently, and regional games like Plakoto and Fevga use their own openings.

How to Set Up a Backgammon Board

The starting position, the direction of play, and the mistakes that catch people out

A backgammon board is set up the same way every single game: four stacks per player, fifteen checkers each, mirrored on both sides. This page shows exactly where every checker goes, which way each player moves, and how to check in five seconds that you got it right. If you want the rest of the game, read the how-to-play guide or the complete backgammon rules — or just play a free game here, where the board sets itself up.

What you need

A board with 24 narrow triangles, called points, and a raised ridge down the middle called the bar.
30 checkers — fifteen per player, in two contrasting colours. They are also called stones, counters or men; on this site they are ivory (White) and dark (Black).
Two dice per player, usually with a cup each. Casual players often share one pair and pass it back and forth.
A doubling cube — a six-sided block marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. It is only used in match and money play, and it is not part of the starting position: it sits on the bar or beside the board.

The board explained

The 24 points are grouped into four quadrants of six. Each player has a home board (also called the inner board) and an outer board. The bar separates them. Your fifteen checkers travel toward your own home board, and once all fifteen have arrived you start taking them off — that is how a game is won.

An empty backgammon board with its four quadrants labelled: Black's outer and home boards along the top, White's outer and home boards along the bottom, with points numbered 1 to 24. — The four quarters of the board. Both home boards sit on the same side — here, the right.

Points are numbered from each player's own point of view: your 1-point is the furthest point inside your home board, and your 24-point is the far corner of the board, deep inside your opponent's home. That means your 1-point is your opponent's 24-point. This sounds confusing written down and becomes obvious the moment you look at a board — every checker of yours is simply counting down toward 1.

The starting position

Each player places their fifteen checkers on four points. The numbers are the same for both players, counted from their own side:

Point	Checkers	What it is called
24-point	2	Your back checkers, in the opponent's home board
13-point	5	The midpoint — your biggest stack
8-point	3	The 8-point, just outside your home board
6-point	5	The outer edge of your home board — these are already home

That is 2 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 15. Most players remember it as the rhythm “two, five, three, five” counting down from 24. Your opponent's checkers sit on the mirror image of those four points, which is why the finished board looks symmetrical when you turn it around.

The backgammon starting position: each player's fifteen checkers on the 24-, 13-, 8- and 6-points, with the points numbered 1 to 24. — The standard starting position. Ivory and dark checkers mirror each other exactly.

Five-second check: every occupied point should face an identical enemy stack across the board — two against two, five against five, three against three, five against five. If one pair does not match, a stack is on the wrong point.

Which way do you move?

The two players move in opposite directions. Each of you always moves toward your own home board, counting downward: 24 toward 1. Because the two home boards sit in the same quarter of the table, the paths run head-on into each other — which is the whole reason backgammon is a fight and not just a race.

A backgammon board showing the direction of travel: White moves from the 24-point along the top, down the left side and along the bottom to the 1-point; Black walks the same path in the opposite direction toward its own home board. — Both players walk the same C-shaped path, in opposite directions, each toward their own home board.

Your two back checkers on the 24-point have the longest journey — they must cross the entire board. The five on your 6-point are already home. This lopsided start is deliberate: it gives both players something to attack and something to defend from move one.

Set it up in four steps

Place the board between both players with the bar running down the middle. Agree which side holds the home boards — left or right does not matter, but both home boards must be on the same side. Traditionally they face the light.
Two checkers on your 24-point, the point furthest from your home board. Both players' back checkers end up sitting in the opponent's home board, side by side.
Five on your 13-point, three on your 8-point. The 13-point is directly opposite your back checkers, on your side of the bar.
Five on your 6-point. Count that you have used all fifteen, then check that your opponent's stacks mirror yours exactly.

Playing online, none of this is manual: the board is dealt out for you, and every legal move is highlighted while illegal ones are simply refused.

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Common setup mistakes

Home boards on opposite sides. The single most common error. If your home board is on the right and your opponent's is on the left, both of you will be moving the same way round and nothing works. Fix it by rotating one player's whole setup.
Swapping the 3 and the 5. Three checkers belong on the 8-point and five on the 6-point, not the other way round. The mirror check above catches this instantly.
Counting from the wrong end. The 24-point is your far corner, not the corner nearest you. If your two back checkers are sitting in your own home board, you counted from the wrong side.
Fourteen or sixteen checkers. Count the stacks before starting rather than discovering a missing checker at bear-off.
Placing the doubling cube on a point. It is not a checker. It belongs on the bar or beside the board, showing 64 (which means “still at 1”).

Questions people ask

How many checkers does each player have?

Fifteen each — thirty on the board. Any board sold with a different number is either a variant set or is missing pieces.

Does it matter which side the home board is on?

Not in itself: left or right is a matter of habit and lighting. What matters is that both players' home boards are on the same side, otherwise the direction of play cannot work.

Who goes first?

Each player rolls one die. The higher number starts and plays those two dice as the opening move — so the first player never rolls doubles. Equal numbers mean both roll again.

Is the setup the same for every version of backgammon?

The 2-5-3-5 arrangement is standard backgammon, used everywhere from casual games to tournaments. Variants differ: Nackgammon moves a checker from the 6- and 13-points to the 23-point, Hypergammon uses only three checkers each, and regional games such as Plakoto and Fevga start their own way.

Do I have to set up the board when playing online?

No. On BackgammonWorld the starting position is dealt automatically, the dice are rolled by the server, and the rules are enforced for you — including the ones that are easy to get wrong, like having to play the higher die when only one is playable.

Now play a game

Setting up is the easy part; the game itself is where it gets interesting. Play the computer on three levels, invite a friend with a private link, or find a live opponent — free, no signup.

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Learn more: the how-to-play walkthrough, the complete backgammon rules, the best opening moves, and our strategy guide.

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