Backgammon: play the classic dice board game online free

Yes. Backgammon on Util.Ninja is completely free to play online, with no sign-up, no download and no in-app purchases. It runs in your browser on computers, tablets and phones, and your statistics and badges are saved on your own device.

Each player has 15 checkers and moves them around the board towards their home board, the last six points. On your turn the dice are rolled and you move your checkers the number shown on each die. You can land on an empty point, on your own checkers, or on a point where your opponent has just one checker, which sends it to the bar. When all 15 of your checkers are in your home board you can start bearing them off. The first player to bear off all 15 wins.

A single checker on a point is called a blot. If your opponent lands on it, the blot is hit and goes to the bar in the middle of the board. Its owner must bring it back in, into the opponent's home board, before making any other move. A point with two or more checkers is safe and cannot be landed on.

If you win before your opponent has borne off a single checker, it is a gammon and counts double. If you also leave a checker of theirs on the bar or in your home board, it is a backgammon and counts triple. On the leaderboard they earn a bigger score than a normal win.

If the dice you rolled leave no legal move, your turn is skipped and the game says so. You must always play both dice when you can, and if only one die can be played you must play the larger one if possible. The game applies these rules for you, so only legal moves are offered. If just one move is possible it is played automatically.

No. This version is a single game without the doubling cube, which keeps it simple and quick. Every game is played to the end, and a gammon or backgammon is what makes a win count extra.

Yes. The dice are random and the computer plays by the same rules as you, with no peeking and no special rolls. In the daily challenge everyone gets the same sequence of dice, so you compete on skill alone.

Easy plays quickly and often makes weak moves, so it is a friendly way to learn. Medium plays sensibly but misses deeper ideas. Hard weighs pip count, safe points, blots and blocks on every move. Expert also looks at your best replies before it moves, so it takes the longest to think and is tough even for experienced players.

Every day everybody plays against the Hard computer with the same dice rolls. Win to put your score on the daily leaderboard, and come back tomorrow for a new set of dice.

Yes. Choose "Two players, one screen" in the game menu and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. The dice roll for you, so there is nothing to argue about.

Yes. The undo button takes back your last move, even through the computer's turn, and you get the same dice again, so you cannot re-roll. The light-bulb button suggests a good move. Both are just for fun, so use them whenever you are stuck.

Yes. Wins against the computer are ranked on a leaderboard with This month and All time panels, and the daily challenge has its own board. A win scores 200 points plus 100 for each level of victory (1 for a normal win, 2 for a gammon, 3 for a backgammon), plus 15 for every opponent checker left on the board, plus a bonus for the level (Easy 0, Medium 100, Hard 250, Expert 450). You only choose a nickname, with no sign-up, and you can delete your scores at any time.

Yes. Backgammon works on phones and tablets in portrait and landscape: tap a checker, then tap where it should go. The board turns to fit tall screens. On a computer you can also use the keyboard: arrow keys and Enter, U to undo and H for a hint.