Online Computer Play

If you just want to practice your game, here are some sites where you can play online against the computer.

Motif Plays Backgammon
www.bkgm.com/motif.html
Creator: Tom Keith
Info: Motif is a Java applet that plays backgammon. Players with a web browser that supports Java (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer), can play against Motif instantly. Motif plays a reasonably good game and has an easy drag-and-drop interface. Motif is a lot of fun and is a very strong player.

JavaGammon http://gammonsoft.serveftp.net:8080/games/gameselect.jsp
Creator: David Byrum
Info: This Java applet has great graphics and sound. Besides backgammon, it also offers players a choice of Acey-Deucey, Reversi, Checkers, Farkle, Link Four, and puzzles.

Inertron Backgammon
www.inertron.com/bkg/index.html
Creator: Jim Preston
Info: This is the Java applet that plays backgammon. It can be used to play against a friend, or play against the computer. Although not a strong player, it loads and runs quickly. It has a click-and-drag interface. Players can drag a single man the combination of both dice (e.g. the player rolls a 3 and a 4, they can move one man 7 points), as long as they can legally land on at least one of the points that one or the other die would get them to. If there is a single opponent on that intervening point, it will be automatically hit. Note that if both possible intervening points contain one opponent, the one on the point from the top die will be automatically hit. If player wants to hit the other one, they must make two separate moves. Clicking on Undo after making one (but not all) move takes back all moves made (players keep the same dice rolls).
Clicking on Undo when players have made no moves takes them back to the beginning of the other player's previous move. To bear off at the end of the game, drag the men to the open area at the right side of the board.

HC-Gammon
www.demo.cs.brandeis.edu/bkg.html
Creator: Demo Lab
Info: This is a web interface to the 100,000th backgammon player evolved through a technique called "hill-climbing". While it is not the best player in the world, it is an amazing player given its humble origins. The board pips are labeled 1 thru 24. To make their moves, players enter the numbers of the starting and landing pips for each die. For example, to make their bar point players have to type "13 7 8 7". Players have to make a move for each number on the dice, e.g. "24 22 24 22 22 20 22 20" if they rolled double twos. Players use 25 for the bar and 0 to bear off.