Backgammon Notation

Backgammon has a short notation for writing down rolls and moves. A line of notation can describe a move that would take a whole sentence to explain in plain words, and it lets you record a game, check it later, or share a position with a friend.

It is worth learning early, because almost every book, article and analysis program uses it. Once you know the notation you can focus on the ideas instead of puzzling over the description, and the whole system takes only a few minutes to learn.

Point numbers

Each player numbers the points from their own side of the board. Your ace point, the deepest point in your home board, is your 1-point, and the point where your two back checkers start is your 24-point. Your opponent numbers the board the other way round, so your 24-point is their 1-point. A move is always written from the point of view of the player making it, and checkers always move from higher numbers to lower ones.

Two points have special names: the 13-point is called the midpoint, and the 7-point is called the bar point.

Writing a move

A move gives the starting point and the landing point, separated by a slash. A checker moved from the 24-point to the 20-point is written 24/20. A turn that moves two checkers lists both moves: 24/20 13/8.

If one checker uses both numbers, you can write the starting and final points only. With 6-4, a single back checker running to the 14-point is written 24/14. Some writers show the stop in between, as 24/18/14, when it helps.

Rolls

A roll is written as the two numbers, usually with the higher number first: 62 or 6-2. A complete entry for one turn gives the roll and then the move:

31: 8/5 6/5

This means the player rolled 3-1 and made the 5-point with one checker from the 8-point and one from the 6-point.

Hits, the bar and bearing off

• Hits are marked with an asterisk after the landing point: 6/5* means the checker hit a blot on the 5-point.
• Entering from the bar is written with "bar" as the starting point. A checker entering with a 3 lands on the opponent's 3-point, which is your 22-point, so the move is bar/22.
• Bearing off uses "off" as the landing point: 4/off.

Doubles and repeated moves

When several checkers make the same move, the number of checkers goes in parentheses. With 5-5, moving two checkers from the 8-point to the 3-point and two from the 6-point to the 1-point is written 8/3(2) 6/1(2). Likewise, with 3-3 the play 8/5(2) 6/3(2) makes two points at once.

Examples

55: 13/3(2) — two checkers move ten pips each from the midpoint, making the 3-point.

43: bar/21 13/10 — a checker enters from the bar with the 4 on the opponent's 4-point, and the 3 is played from the midpoint.

62: 13/7* 13/11 — one checker hits a blot on the bar point and another comes down to the 11-point.

61: 6/off 1/off — in the bear-off, the 6 and the 1 each take a checker off.

21: 6/4*/3 — one checker hits a blot on the 4-point and continues to the 3-point. The middle point is shown here only because a hit happened there; a move that hits and keeps going is called "hit and pass."

Doubling in notation

Cube actions are written in words: "Doubles to 2," "Takes," "Passes" (or "Drops"), "Redoubles to 4." Analysis programs and match records list them on their own lines between rolls.

Now that you can read moves, try the notation in practice with our guides to Opening Moves and Replies to Opening Moves. If a term is unfamiliar, the Quick Backgammon Glossary will help.