The Backgammon Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Backgammon Quiz
Image: refer to hsw

About This Quiz

Backgammon takes checkers to the next level, adding speed and strategy to create a board game that's surprisingly complex. Think you can tell your points from your primes? Take our quiz to find out!
How many triangles are on a backgammon board?
12
24
36
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each board features 24 triangles called points that alternate in color.

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How many quadrants are these points divided into?
two
three
four
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The points are arranged in four quadrants of six points each. Your home and outer quadrants are the two nearest to you as you play.

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How many checkers does each person use per game?
eight
12
15
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each player uses 15 checkers, for a total of 30 per game.

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How many standard dice does each player use?
two
four
10
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each player uses two dice, which must be played using a shaker cup and may never be thrown by hand.

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What is the highest possible number on the doubling die?
32
64
128
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The highest possible number on the doubling die is 64, though some only go up to 32.

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True or false: You can throw your dice anywhere on the board.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With each toss, your dice must land on the right side of the board. If they don't, the throw doesn't count.

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How do you let your opponent know that your turn is complete?
Tell him.
Pick up your dice.
Remove one checker.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In backgammon, your turn ends only when you pick up your dice. Until then, you can move or redo your moves as much as you want.

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What happens if you roll double?
Lose a turn.
Win 10 extra points.
Move four times.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you are lucky enough to roll doubles — the same number on each die — you get to make four moves instead of just two.

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Who goes first in backgammon?
the youngest player
the lowest roller
the highest roller
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To determine who goes first in the game, each player rolls a single die. Whoever gets the highest number gets the first turn.

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What do you call a single checker on one point?
blot
blob
nob
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A good backgammon strategy is to aim towards blots — points that are home to only a single checker.

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What is the line down the center of the board called?
band
bar
rank
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you make a hit — knock a player's checker off the board — the checker is sent to the bar, which runs down the center of the board.

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How do you win a game of backgammon?
Capture your opponent's checkers.
Move all your pieces to the bar.
Remove all your checkers from the board.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The winner in a game of backgammon is the first player to remove all of his checkers from the board.

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How many winning classes are there in backgammon?
one
two
three
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are three classes of wins in the game. In a "single game" win, a player removes all his checkers before his opponent, but the opponent manages to remove at least one checker.

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What is the term used to describe a win where one opponent fails to remove a single checker from the board?
double game
gammon
backgammon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In a gammon, one players remove all of his checkers before the other removes even one. It's a step up from a standard win.

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What is it called when one player plays against a team of two or more?
revien
roulette
chouette
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In a chouette (pronounced "choo-et") one player takes on a team of at least two others. This is a great technique for beginners learning to pick up the game quickly.

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What is the highest class of win in a game of backgammon?
super gammon
backgammon
frontgammon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In a "backgammon" class of win, one player removes all of his checkers while the other fails to remove any. The losing player must also have at least one checker on the bar.

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True or false: Betting is very common in backgammon.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Betting is written right into the rules of the game. Win a backgammon, and you can expect to triple your winnings.

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What is the No. 5 point called on a backgammon board?
ace
golden
bar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The No. 5 point is often referred to as the "golden" point because of its strategic significance.

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What term describes one player owning two or more points next to each other?
prime
pride
prince
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have a prime, you control two or more adjacent points, giving you a significant advantage.

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How many checkers do you need on a point to completely block your opponent's progress?
three
six
nine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you get six checkers on a single point, your opponent can't pass that point until you move some of your pieces to make room.

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How many checkers do you need on a point to keep an opponent from landing on that point?
two
three
four
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have two checkers on a single point, your opponent can't land on that point, though he can jump over it.

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True or false" Doubles will appear every six rolls, on average.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Doubles are a major advantage in backgammon, and this phenomenon occurs every six rolls on average.

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Where did Roman Emperor Claudius famously install a backgammon set?
his chariot
his toilet
his bathtub
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Claudius had a backgammon set built into his chariot to amuse him on long journeys. Fellow Roman Emperor Nero was also a big fan of the game.

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What do you call the solo player in a chouette?
block
bank
box
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The solo player in a chouette is the box, while the captain leads the opposing crew or team.

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What is it called when you raise the value of the doubling cube three times in a row?
aardvark
avocado
ark
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A single raise of the cube is a beaver; a second raise is a raccoon; and a third raise is known as an aardvark.

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When was the concept of chouette introduced in backgammon?
1820s
1920s
1970s
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Backgammon was dying out by the 20th century, but the introduction of the chouette and the doubling cube during the 1920s helped revive interest in the game.

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Where did backgammon likely originate?
India
Mesopotamia
China
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Backgammon dates back around 5,000 years to Mesopotamia — modern-day Iraq.

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What were the earliest dice made from?
rocks
teeth
bone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The earliest known dice are around 5,000 years old and are made from human bone.

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When was the term backgammon first used in print?
1445
1645
1845
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Backgammon was first used in print around 1645, though ancient Roman frescos reveal that the game had spread well beyond Mesopotamia long before the 17th century.

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What is the largest number of backgammon games played in a single hour?
116
216
316
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to "Guinness World Records," the record for most simultaneous backgammon games was set in Turkey in 2011 when 632 people played 316 in a single hour.

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You Got:
/30
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