Backgammon asks you to read both the dice and the opponent. A quick move might bring a checker closer to home, while a slower one could secure a point that matters much more on the next turn.

Fifteen checkers each

Two players move fifteen checkers in opposite directions towards their home boards. Each rolls one die for the opening. The higher roller starts and uses both opening numbers. Ties are rolled again.

Each die is a separate move. A five and a three are not a free eight-point jump. They are two moves that must pass through a legal position. Doubles give you four moves of that number. You must use as many dice as legally possible. If only one can be used, you must use the higher one.

Making points and hitting blots

A point occupied by two or more opposing checkers is closed to you. A single opposing checker can be hit and sent to the bar. Keeping checkers together makes them safer, though it can sometimes cost speed.

If you have a checker on the bar, it must re-enter before you move the others. When every entry point allowed by your dice is blocked, you have to wait for another turn.

Bearing off

You may begin removing checkers only when all of them are in the final six points of your route. Use the corresponding die to bear a checker off. An oversized roll may remove the farthest checker when no checker farther back can use that number. The first player to remove all fifteen wins.

This Ryvo mode does not use a doubling cube. Mahbusa and Tawla 31 are separate modes with different rules and their own guides.

Choosing between safety and speed

When you lead the race, reducing contact can help. When you trail, you may need to preserve hitting chances or block an important route. A point’s value depends on the rest of the board, so the same dice can call for very different plans.