Backgammon Accessories: A Guide to Boards, Dice, Cups and Cubes
You can play backgammon on a paper board with a handful of coins, but good equipment makes the game more pleasant and, in the case of dice, more fair. Whether you are upgrading your own set or looking for a gift for a player, here is what is worth knowing about each piece.
What Comes in a Full Set
A complete backgammon set contains:
- a board with 24 points, divided by the bar into four quarters;
- 30 checkers, 15 in each of two colors;
- two pairs of dice, one pair per player;
- two dice cups;
- a doubling cube marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64.
If a set is missing any of these, it is easy to buy the part separately.
Boards
Boards come in many materials. Wooden boards with inlaid points are traditional and durable. Leather or leatherette cases look smart and fold into a carrying case. Felt or cork playing surfaces are quieter and keep dice from bouncing off the board. Larger boards are easier on the eyes and leave more room for rolling; small ones are easier to carry.
For travel, look at compact folding sets, magnetic boards that keep checkers in place on a moving train, or roll-up mats. Handheld electronic games with several difficulty levels are another option for solo practice on the road.
Checkers
Checkers should sit flat and stack neatly. Heavier checkers made of wood, stone or dense resin feel better in the hand than light plastic. Make sure the two colors are easy to tell apart at a glance, especially under dim light.
Dice
Dice are the one accessory that affects the game itself. Inexpensive dice often have rounded corners and drilled pips that can make them slightly unbalanced. Precision dice have sharp edges, flush pips and tight manufacturing tolerances, so each face comes up as close to equally often as possible. They are standard in serious play. Novelty dice in glass, crystal or unusual shapes make nice gifts, but use them for display or casual games rather than competition. Our fair dice page goes into what makes dice truly random.
Dice Cups
A cup does more than look good. It mixes the dice and prevents controlled throws. The best cups have a baffle, a small inner lip near the opening that catches the dice and makes them tumble before they come out. Leather and felt-lined cups are quieter. A personalized cup with a name or design is a popular gift that does not affect the game at all.
The Doubling Cube
The doubling cube is used in match play to raise the value of a game. A good cube is large enough to read from across the board and has clear, deep numbers. Learn how it works on our doubling cube page.
Other Useful Extras
- Score pads or match boards to keep track of points in a match.
- Game clocks, which some tournaments use to keep play moving.
- A carrying case that holds all the pieces so nothing goes missing.
Choosing a Gift
For a beginner, a solid mid-size board with good dice and baffled cups is more useful than an expensive showpiece. For an experienced player, precision dice, a quality cube or a well-made travel set are welcome upgrades. Personal touches such as engraving or a favorite color make the gift memorable without changing how the game plays. Whatever you choose, check that the dice are true; a beautiful set with lopsided dice is a set nobody wants to play on.