Classic backgammon · Endgame

Bearing in

You cannot bear off until every one of your checkers is inside your home board.

4 min · 4 steps

This is the written edition of an interactive Boardgammon lesson — in the app, the coach narrates while you play every move on a live board.

Step 1 · Bring every checker home

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On the board: Outside

You cannot bear off until every one of your checkers is inside your home board.

Coach narration

Step 2 · Can White bear off?

One White checker is still outside the home board. Is bearing off legal yet?

Choose the correct rule.

Quick check

  • Not yet, bring the last checker home
  • Yes, most checkers are home
Show the correct answer

Correct answer: Not yet, bring the last checker home — Correct. The outside checker must move in first.

  • Yes, most checkers are home — Most is not enough. Every checker must be home.

Coach narration

Step 3 · Enter the home board

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On the board: Home

Use the 2 to bring the last outside checker into the home board.

Use the 2: tap the highlighted checker on the 8-point, then tap Land here on the 6-point.

The roll: 2-1

The move: 8/6

Now every White checker is home. The roll still has a 1 to play.

Common mistake: Move the only outside checker into the home board before bearing off.

Coach narration

Step 4 · Use the remaining die

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On the board: Remaining 1

Now all White checkers are home, but the roll still has a 1. Use that 1 inside the home board.

Use the 1: tap the highlighted checker on your 6-point, then tap Land here on the 5-point.

The roll: 2-1

The move: 6/5

Good. The roll is complete, and every White checker is still home.

Common mistake: Follow the Start and Land markers: move the checker on your 6-point one point forward to the 5-point. You could even bear off now, but bearing off is the next lesson.

Coach narration

What you learned

You can now spot when bearing off is blocked, bring the last checker home, and finish the roll from the home board.

Coach narration