Offer, take or pass
The doubling cube shows how many points a single game win is worth. It begins centred at 1. In a game with the cube enabled, either player can offer the first double before rolling on their own turn. The opponent chooses whether to take or pass. A pass ends the game immediately at its pre-offer value.
If the opponent takes, the value doubles and the taker owns the cube. Only the cube owner can offer the next double, on a later turn before rolling. A take therefore gives the player who is currently behind a way to increase the stakes if the position turns around.
Before rolling, Ivory may offer a double from 1 to 2. If Umber passes, Ivory scores one point immediately.
Borne off · Ivory 7/15 · Umber 0/15
Umber took Ivory’s double and now owns the 2-cube, shown at the top of the bar. The next potential offer is from 2 to 4 and belongs to Umber.
Borne off · Ivory 7/15 · Umber 0/15
Score the game
A single win scores the current cube value if the loser has borne off at least one checker. A gammon is worth twice that value when the loser has borne off zero and has no checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board. A backgammon is worth three times the cube when the loser has borne off zero and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board.
In standard match play, a centred cube still counts as 1 for these multipliers. In some money games, an agreed Jacoby rule counts gammons and backgammons as singles until the cube has been turned. Confirm the scoring format before using money-game advice.
Ivory has one checker left and rolls 6–5 on a 2-cube. Umber has borne off nothing and still has a checker in Ivory’s home board. Ivory’s win scores six points.
Borne off · Ivory 14/15 · Umber 0/15
The Crawford game
In a standard match, play successive games until somebody reaches the agreed target. When a player first reaches one point away from winning the match, the next game is the Crawford game. Neither player may double in that game. If the match continues, doubling becomes available again the following game. A one-point match has no doubling.
For a five-point match, 4–2 can be Crawford if it is the score immediately after the first player reached four. If the player on two wins a single in that game, 4–3 is post-Crawford and the cube is live again. Gammons still count in Crawford and can let the trailing player gain more than one point.
Ivory needs one point and Umber needs three. The cube is out of play for this game. A single Ivory win ends the match.
Practice question
Umber owns a 4-cube and offers 8. Ivory passes. How many points does Umber score?
Show answer
Four points. A pass ends the game at the cube value before the proposed double.