FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Link to heading

How do I play backgammon? Link to heading

For a textual explanation visit this page.

For a short video explanation visit this video.

  • Acey-deucey rules are available here.
  • Tabula rules are available here.

Are there any rules? Link to heading

All users connecting to bgammon.org are expected to show good sportsmanship. Offensive behavior is not tolerated and such behavior will ultimately result in being banned.

May I connect a bot or engine? Link to heading

You may connect a bot or engine to bgammon.org if and only if you connect using a username starting with “BOT_”, such as “BOT_tabula”. Bots are allowed to create matches and join bot matches.

May I use an engine or other aid while playing? Link to heading

Using an engine or any other aid while connected using a username that does not start with “BOT_” is not allowed, and will result in being banned.

Do I need to register? Link to heading

Registration is optional. To play as a guest, do not enter a username when connecting, or enter a username without entering a password. Match replays are available to guests via the /download command.

Match replays are automatically saved to a player’s account when logged in. This allows players to review and download previous matches at any time. Players connected using a registered account also have a numeric rating associated with each available match type which is adjusted each time a match is won or lost.

What rating system is used at bgammon.org? Link to heading

The Glicko-2 rating system is used. Each player starts with a rating of 1500.

Is the doubling cube supported? Link to heading

Matches worth two or more points include the doubling cube.

What happens if a player goes inactive? Link to heading

When playing a rated match, players are allowed to take 30 seconds to roll, and are allowed another 30 seconds to complete all of their moves. When a player takes longer than 30 seconds to do either of these, an inactivity timer increments by the additional time taken after 30 seconds. If a player reaches ten minutes of inactivity their opponent is then permitted to leave the match at any time and receive a win. Both players are notified when this happens.

How does the tabula backgammon bot work? Link to heading

For a detailed explanation of how tabula works visit this page.

Download Boxcars for Windows, Linux or Android for the best performance.

When playing using a browser, Firefox is recommended.

Where can I share an issue or suggestion? Link to heading

Join the community and let us know what is on your mind.

What is bgammon.org? Link to heading

bgammon.org is a free and open source backgammon service. The server is named bgammon-server. The official client is named boxcars. The bgammon.org protocol is documented in PROTOCOL.md. The bgammon.org replay file format is documented in REPLAY.md.

How can I help bgammon.org grow? Link to heading

Who created bgammon.org? Link to heading

Trevor Slocum, a passionate self-taught software developer who has created a plethora of open source software. (Including video games!)

Why was bgammon.org created? Link to heading

Before bgammon.org, none of the online backgammon servers available were released under a free and open source license. They were free to use, but users could not download, view or modify the source code of the servers.

bgammon.org is free and open source, which means anyone can download, view and modify the source code of the server. You could run your own bgammon.org server, if you wanted to. (But I would appreciate your help with making bgammon.org better instead!)

May I create a client for bgammon.org? Link to heading

You are welcome to create a client for bgammon.org if and only if you do not charge users a fee of any kind to access or use the client and you do not display advertisements of any kind in or alongside the client.

Are any languages other than English supported? Link to heading

The following languages are also supported:

  • Albanian
  • Esperanto
  • French
  • German
  • Hungarian
  • Italian
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish (Mexico)
  • Swedish
  • Turkish
  • Ukranian

Please help translate bgammon.org if you are bilingual.