BACKGAMMON by Peter Weighill -------------------------------- Backgammon is a board game in which the aim is to move all 15 of your men around the board and then off the board. If you have not played the game before and do not know the rules then you should read them later on here or read the on-line instructions included in the game. After the instructions, the scores are displayed from previous games. These will be all zero on your first go. If you want to clear the scores press 1 to clear the one-player game scores and 2 for the two-player game. You should then press any key. You will then be asked whether you want to play the computer. Type in Y or N and press return. If you typed in Y then you will be asked whether you want to go first. Now the board will appear and the game will begin. HOW TO ENTER A MOVE You will be asked the question 'Which piece to move?'. You should type in the number corresponding to the piece you want to move (the numbers are displayed around the board). If one of your men has been knocked off the board by your opponent then you should type O to the above question to get your man back on the board. You must re-enter this man before you can move any other. If you cannot move then type N to the above question. Once you have typed in the piece to move then you will be asked 'Which dice to use?'. You should type in the value of one of the dice displayed in the top right corner and press return. If you have typed in the wrong man to move and only notice the mistake when you have to input a dice value then type <- (back arrow) and press return. PLAYING THE COMPUTER The computer is always White. It will display its moves in a column on the right. After it has finished moving its pieces then you should press any key to continue. You should then input your moves. AT THE END OF THE GAME The game ends when a player has taken all 15 of his men off the board. The points won will then be displayed and added to the totals for all games played. HOW POINTS ARE SCORED The player who wins the game receives one point for each man left on the board. The player will receive double points if the opponent still has all fifteen men on the board. The player will receive triple points if the opponent also has one or more of his men in the winning player's home table. ---------------------------------------------- RULES OF THE GAME ---------------------------------------------- The basic object is to beat your opponent by moving all your pieces around and then off the board. 1. The game is played by two people, each with two dice and 15 men. 2. The board is divided into 4 'tables', each with" 6 'points'. 3. The men move from the opponents home tables to his outer table, then into their own outer and then finally home table. The two sets of men therefore move in opposite directions. black HOME OUTER > down |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | | * | * | * | | * | * | * | | | * | * | * | | * | * | * | | | | |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | * | * | * | | * | * | * | | | * | * | * | | * | * | * | | | | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ white HOME OUTER > up 4. The white player moves first. The two dice are thrown. A man is moved according to the number of spots shown on each dice. The two numbers can move different men, or the same man. If a double is thrown, the number rolled may move four different men, or four times by one man. 5. If a player 'makes' a point by placing two or more of his own men on it, that point becomes 'blocked'. This means an opponent's man may not land on that point. There is no limit to the number of men that player who has made a point can put on that point. 6. A player must move men according to both numbers shown on the dice, if possible. 7. If only one man is on a point, it is called a blot. If an opponent lands on the blot, this 'hit' blot is removed and placed at the OFF position. One or more blots can be hit in one play. That player may not then make any move until his man or men on the OFF have re-entered play. A man may re-enter play when the throw of the dice allows the player to enter his opponent's home table and land on a point occupied by no more than one of the opponent's men. 8. Once all 15 of your men are in your home table, a player begins to bear off. To do this, a number must be thrown which carries a man to the OFF position or further. If, while bearing off, a blot of yours is hit by the opponent, the blot must be re-entered and moved back to your inner table before bearing off can continue. 9. The first player to bear off all 15 men wins. 10. Scoring points: The player who wins the game receives one point for each of the opponents pieces left at the end of the game. Double points are scored if the opponent still has all 15 of his men on the board. Triple points are scored if the opponent also has one or more of his pieces in your home table. -END-