Try a new way to play; the backgammon race

The backgammon race is immediately different from most other backgammon game as it requires a different setup. The backgammon player traditionally places their checkers in lines on specific points; 5 checkers on the 6 and 13 points, 3 checkers on the 8 point, and 2 checkers on the 24 point. When playing the backgammon race, the setup requires both players pieces to be placed along the middle bar.

During this type of backgammon game, the pieces are moved along the board in the usual manner though checkers can remain on the bar. However, this changes if a piece is captured during a blot. The rules revert to those in any other backgammon game, and the captured piece must rejoin the game before the other checkers can be moved.

The backgammon race enables a faster type of game for the backgammon player that wants a more competitive and time efficient experience. Once all pieces are collected home each player must be the quickest via the roll of the dice to lift all the chips off the board before their opponents

During backgammon race, there is no second roll for the player that rolls a double and the doubling cube is not used. This is because the speed of the game is the essence, rather than the stakes. This makes backgammon race a very popular choice for no money and tournament play.