The Purple Guide to Learning Backgammon in 10 Days
A 10-day first taste of the board, the dice, and the decisions — no jargon, no gear-buying sprees, just enough to know if backgammon is your game.
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Ten days. One hour a day. Learn the moves, the dice, and the fun of backgammon — no prior knowledge needed.
About this book
So you've seen the crisscrossed triangular board, the stacked checkers, the little cups for dice — and you have no clue what any of it means. That's fine. The Purple Guide to Learning Backgammon in 10 Days is not a masterclass and it's not a textbook. It's a friendly, honest walk-through of what the game actually feels like, one day at a time, for someone who's never even touched the pieces.
Across ten short daily chapters, you'll learn the physical moves, the two real moments of decision in every turn, and why the doubling cube matters even if you never use it. You'll also get a reality check about gear prices, time commitment, and how long it takes before you stop feeling clumsy. Every day has a concrete task — not "get comfortable with the board," but "move three checkers into your home board and understand the safety rule."
By the end, you'll have played several un-timed practice games, hit your first lucky double, and felt the frustration of a blocked point. More importantly, you'll know whether backgammon is a hobby you want to keep, or whether you're glad you tried it and can move on. Either way, the ten days aren't wasted.
Reader Reviews
Ashley Hill
★★★★★I picked this up because I kept walking past a backgammon board at my parents' house and felt dumb not knowing what it was. Day one actually got me moving pieces legally after twenty minutes, which was way better than the YouTube video I watched last year. It's not flashy, but it's honest — the gear checklist on day two saved me from buying a $80 board I didn't need. I'll keep playing on the free app for now.
Anthony Thompson
★★★★★It's a fine guide, but I felt the early days moved a little slow. I already knew that you move checkers around the board, so the whole first chapter felt like preamble. That said, the practice checklist on day six was genuinely helpful — I realized I was leaving blots everywhere. If you're a complete beginner and patient, it's worth the ten days. If you have any experience at all, skip to day four.
Gary Rivera
★★★★★What I appreciated was that it never tried to upsell me. Day three laid out three different board options with honest prices — I went with a $25 travel set and it's been totally fine. The day eight narrative of a full game was the closest thing to having a friend sit across from me and explain why I lost. Four stars because I still need more practice, but the plan did what it said.
Nancy Nguyen
★★★★★As someone who learns best with a clear schedule, this was perfect. Every chapter had one small, specific task that took me 30-40 minutes after work. I went from knowing literally nothing to playing my first complete game on day eight without looking at the rules. I actually laughed when I got my first double and realized why people love this game. Highly recommend it to anyone who's been on the fence.
Timothy Jackson
★★★★★I've bought three 'learn backgammon' books over the years and this is the only one I finished. The difference is that it treats you like an adult who has a life — it doesn't expect four hours of practice a day. Day one is just about touching the pieces. Day four and five are the real core lessons, and they're explained better than anything I found free online. I'm a month in now and still using the milestones table to gauge my progress.
Amy Rivera
★★★★★Good, honest starter plan. I liked that it didn't promise mastery in ten days — it promised a first taste, and that's what it delivered. The self-assessment checklist in chapter two was a bit of a buzzkill because it asked if I actually had space to leave a board out, which I didn't, so I switched to a laptop app. Worked fine. I'm rating four stars because I wanted a bit more depth on the doubling cube, but I realize that's not this book's job.