Backgammon bearing off: finishing the race
Once all 15 of your checkers are home you can bear them off. Learn how the dice take checkers off, and what to do with a roll bigger than you need. How Backgammon works · lesson 4 of 4.
The lesson in words
When all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can start bearing off. A die takes a checker off from the point with that number: a 6 from the 6 point, a 4 from the 4 point.
To bear off, tap a checker, then tap the tray on the right.
Try it: You rolled 6 and 4. Bear off two checkers.
If a die is higher than your highest checker, you can use it to bear off from your highest point.
Try it: You rolled 6 and 5, but your highest checkers are on 3. Bear off two.
All home, then off by the dice. Next: a quick rules check.
Questions
You’re bearing off and one of your checkers gets hit. What happens?
It goes to the bar. It has to come back in and travel home before you can bear off any more.