Duels

Backgammon online, with a friend

The oldest race game in the world: roll the dice, hit your friend’s blots, build a wall in your home board and bear off first. Two players, one link, free and no download.

2 players
About 15 min
Watchable live
Free, no sign-up

A backgammon board with red and yellow checkers on mint and lilac points and two dice showing six and five

Backgammon over a link

Backgammon is a race with a twist. Both players run their fifteen checkers around the board in opposite directions, and every roll is a choice: run ahead, build a safe point, or hit a lonely checker and send it back to the start. It’s played in cafés from Istanbul to Athens, where it’s called Tavla and Tavli, and loved everywhere for the same reason: easy to learn, impossible to master.

On BeatMe you play it with a link. Start a game, send it in any chat, and your friend plays in the browser. Play live together or one turn at a time: every roll and every move plays back when the other one looks again. The dice are rolled on our server and every move is checked there, so the luck is fair and the rules are always right.

How to play Backgammon

Start and roll

Start a game and send the beatme.link link. You play red and move counter-clockwise towards your home board at the bottom right. Tap the dice to roll.

Move your checkers

Tap a checker and its landing points light up. Each die moves one checker that many points; doubles are played four times. A point with two or more of your friend’s checkers is blocked.

Hit and enter

Land on a single enemy checker to hit it: it goes to the bar and must come back in through your home board before your friend can move anything else.

Bear off and win

Once all fifteen of your checkers are home, bear them off. The first to bear off all fifteen wins; a gammon if the other player has borne off none.

Backgammon tips

Make points, not blots. Two checkers on a point are safe; one alone can be hit. Early on, building points in your home board and on your 7 point is worth more than racing.
Know the best openings. 3-1 makes your 5 point, 6-1 your bar point, 4-2 your 4 point. Play them every time.
Build a prime. Six points in a row are a wall your friend’s checkers can’t jump. Even four or five in a row slow them down badly.
Count the race. The numbers under the board show the pips each side still needs. Ahead in the race: run and avoid contact. Behind: keep checkers back and wait for a shot.
Hit when it counts. A checker sent to the bar loses all its progress. Hits deep in your friend’s journey hurt the most.

Fair dice, fair rules

The dice are rolled on our server, never in the browser, and nobody can see a roll coming. Every move is checked there too: blocked points, entering from the bar, bearing off with the right number, and the rule that you must use as many dice as you can, and the higher one when only one fits. Undo any step before you tap Done.

Backgammon FAQ

Can I play backgammon online with a friend for free?

Yes. Start a game on this page, send the link and your friend plays in their browser. Free, no app, no account.

Do we have to play at the same time?

No. Play live if you are both online, or one turn at a time whenever you like. The board plays back the other player’s roll and moves.

Is there a doubling cube?

Not yet. Every game is played to the end. A gammon counts double and a backgammon triple in the result, and the rematch keeps the series score.

What if I can’t move?

If none of your dice can be played, your turn passes automatically. If only one die can be played, you must play it, and the higher one if both could be played alone.

What are gammon and backgammon?

A gammon is a win where the loser hasn’t borne off a single checker. A backgammon is a gammon where the loser also still has a checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board.

Is backgammon the same as tavla?

Yes. Tavla is the Turkish name and tavli the Greek one. The game here is the standard version, the one called portes in Greece.