1978 - Backgammon for Commodore PET by O. F. Bulmer

08/06/2026 20:47

Backgammon for Commodore PET
by O. F. Bulmer

Publication date 1978-11
Topics Commodore PET, BASIC programs, Educational Software
Language English
Item Size 85.8K

An educational Commodore BASIC program found in a cache of school-recorded Commodore PET tape cassettes.

Backgammon for the Commodore PET was notably programmed by O.F. Bulmer during the early days of 8-bit computing. The software allowed users to play the classic board game against the computer, navigating the limited 40-column character display of the PET by plotting checkers across a text-based board.

Bulmer’s version was one of the earliest adaptations of the game (which relies on a race to bear off checkers) to make it to personal computers, providing simple but engaging algorithmic intelligence for early adopters of the machine.

The Classic Rules of Backgammon

If you are trying to remember how the board plays out, the fundamental elements of the game include:

The Goal: Move all 15 of your checkers into your Home Board and then remove them (bear them off). The first person to remove all checkers wins.
Movement: Checkers move according to the roll of two dice. You can move one checker the value of one die and a second checker the value of the other, or move a single checker by the combined total.
Hitting: If you land on a point occupied by a single opposing checker, that checker is "hit" and placed on the central bar. Your opponent must re-enter that checker from the bar before they can make any other moves.