Bearing off is the last phase of the game — taking your checkers off the board. It’s mechanically simple but psychologically where most beginners lose games they should have won.

When can you bear off?

Only when all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (your points 1–6).

If even one checker is still outside — including on the bar — you can’t bear off. As soon as it’s all in, you’re cleared.

How bearing off works

Each die corresponds to a point. Roll a 4 → take a checker off your 4-point. Roll a 1 → take one off your 1-point. Doubles work the same: 5-5 lets you take four checkers off your 5-point.

The “bigger roll” rule

This is the rule that confuses people:

If you roll a number bigger than your highest occupied point, you bear off from your highest point.

Example: your highest checker is on the 4-point. You roll a 6. Take a checker off the 4-point.

But also:

If your highest occupied point matches the die, you bear that one off normally.

Example: highest checker on the 5-point. Roll a 5. Take one off the 5-point.

And:

If you roll less than your highest, you must move within the home board. You can’t waste a die.

Example: highest checker on the 6-point. Roll a 3. You cannot bear off the 6 with a 3 — you must move a checker 3 pips inward (e.g., 6 to 3).

You can still be hit

If your opponent has a checker on your 1-point or your 2-point (their “back game”), they can still hit you while you’re bearing off. Watch your blots. A single blot left in your home board can be hit and sent all the way around to the opponent’s home, often costing you the game.

The two ways beginners lose bear-off games they should win

1. Leaving blots when you didn’t have to. When two die values let you bear off in different ways, pick the one that leaves no blot — even if it means a slightly less efficient roll.

2. Bearing off too greedily into the opponent’s checker. If they still have a checker on your 1-point, every blot you leave is a roll-the-dice gamble. Sometimes the right move is to make a point you don’t strictly need, just to deny their double.

Speed tip

In a pure race (no opponent checkers in your home), just bear off as fast as possible — efficiency wins. The complications above only apply when the opponent has a back-game presence.

Practice this specifically

Play 5 games against the computer where you focus only on the bear-off:

Notice when leaving a blot was avoidable
Notice when the “bigger roll” rule saved you a checker
Notice the difference between racing and defending

Practice the endgame now →