Short Backgammon

Across a long wooden board, fifteen checkers race in opposite directions under dice rolls and blocking points. In Short Backgammon, the match stays true to the classic tabletop version, pairing you with a computer rival and the same race to bear pieces off first. Captured men don't vanish for long. A lone checker left exposed can be hit and sent off the board, cutting off all other movement until it returns. Doubles change the pace, adding four moves from one roll. Scoring also reaches beyond a basic win, since victory points rise when the opponent's checkers remain far from the finish.

How to play?

Move one checker for each die by the exact number rolled across the points on the board. Bring every piece into the opponent's home board before bearing any off. Build stacks of two or more to block hits on exposed men. Set two checkers on points in your home board, closing landing spots for a checker trying to re-enter. Leave a few men back when the race favors an attack, then hit exposed pieces moving through your side. Use the doubling cube before the result is settled if the position looks favorable. Refuse the cube, and the game ends at once.