Game instructions:
BACKGAMMON
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SET-UP & EQUIPMENT
The game is played with 2 players.
Each player has fifteen pieces, or checkers, of their own color. There is also a pair of dice included.
The board consists of 24 long triangles called points. The triangles alternate in color, and are divided into four quadrants of six triangles each. The four quadrants are the player's home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer board. Please refer to the layout guide below for the starting positions of the pieces.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the game is to move all of one own's checkers to the home board, and then to remove (bear off) the pieces from the board entirely.
GAMEPLAY
To start the game, each player rolls a single die and the player with the higher number moves first. At the beginning of each turn, a player rolls both dice at the same time. The players move their checkers in opposing directions, following the path shown.
Moving
The dice roll determines how many points the player is supposed to move its checker. Movement always follows the horseshoe path shown in the 'objective' section. When moving a checker, it may only land on an open point. A point not occupied by two or more opposing checkers is an open point. The two dice rolled constitute two separate movements. For example, if a player rolls a 6 and a 4, they may move one checker 6 spaces to an open point, and another checker 4 spaces to an open point. The player may also choose to move the same checker twice (a total of 10 spaces), so long as each move is to an open point. When a double is rolled, the numbers on the dice are played twice, for a total of 4 moves.
Hitting
An open point containing one opposing checker is a blot. When a checker is moved onto a blot, the opposing team's checker is hit, and that checker is placed on the vertical blank space in the middle of the board, called the bar.
When a player has one or more checkers on the bar, they must first re-enter them onto the opponent's home board. If the checkers on the bar cannot enter into an open point, the player loses their turn. A player cannot move any other piece until all of their checkers are off the bar. If a player's checkers have been moved off the bar, any unused number must be played.
Bearing Off
When all of a player's checkers are in their home board, they can begin the process of removing them, called bearing off. This is done by rolling a number corresponding to a point with a checker residing on it. If no checker can bear off with the number(s) rolled, the player must make a legal move with a checker from the highest point.
CHECKERS
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SET-UP & EQUIPMENT
The game is played with 2 players.
Each player has twelve pieces, or checkers, of their own color.
The board should be set up so that each player has a light square on the rightmost space along the edge closest to that player. Only the dark spaces are used during gameplay.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the game is to remove all of your opponent's checkers from the gameboard by capturing them.
GAMEPLAY
To start the game, the player with the dark pieces moves first. The pieces always move diagonally (to another dark square), and single pieces are limited to forward moves. A piece making a non-capturing move may only move one square.
Capturing
To capture a piece of your opponent, your piece leaps over an opponent's piece in a space diagonal to your own. The landing square must be empty. When a piece is captured, it is removed from the board. In the example below, the light piece captures the dark piece by jumping over it to the empty landing space.
Capturing (cont.)
An illegal capture move is shown below. Pieces can only jump in straight diagonal lines.
Only one piece may be captured in a single jump, but multiple jumps are allowed in a single turn. If a player is able to make the capture, then the jump must be made. A player can change directions in a multiple-capture turn, as shown below.
Upgrading a piece to a King
When a piece reaches the furthest row, it is crowned and becomes a king. One of he pieces which had been captured is placed on top of the king so that it is twice as high as a single piece.
Kings are limited to moving diagonally, but can move forward or backward. They can also combined jumps in several directions (forward and backward) on the same turn.
CHESS
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SET-UP & EQUIPMENT
The game is played with 2 players.
Each player has twelve pieces, or checkers, of their own color.
The board should be set up so that each player has a light square on the rightmost space along the edge closest to that player. Only the dark spaces are used during gameplay.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the game is to remove all of your opponent's checkers from the gameboard by capturing them.
GAMEPLAY
To start the game, the player with the dark pieces moves first. The pieces always move diagonally (to another dark square), and single pieces are limited to forward moves. A piece making a non-capturing move may only move one square.
Capturing
To capture a piece of your opponent, your piece leaps over an opponent's piece in a space diagonal to your own. The landing square must be empty. When a piece is captured, it is removed from the board. In the example below, the light piece captures the dark piece by jumping over it to the empty landing space.
An illegal capture move is shown below. Pieces can only jump in straight diagonal lines.
Only one piece may be captured in a single jump, but multiple jumps are allowed in a single turn. If a player is able to make the capture, then the jump must be made. A player can change directions in a multiple-capture turn, as shown below.
Upgrading a piece to a King
When a piece reaches the furthest row, it is crowned and becomes a king. One of he pieces which had been captured is placed on top of the king so that it is twice as high as a single piece.
Kings are limited to moving diagonally, but can move forward or backward. They can also combined jumps in several directions (forward and backward) on the same turn.
TIC-TAC-TOE
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SET-UP & EQUIPMENT
The game is played with two players on a three-by-three game board.
Each player select whether they will play as the 'X' or the 'O' game pieces. X always goes first.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the game is for a player to have three pieces in a row.
GAMEPLAY
The player with the X pieces always goes first.
Players alternate placing Xs and Os on the game board. If all nine places are filled and no one has three in a row, the stalemate is called a cat game.