Backgammon Strategy for Beginners

Good backgammon players are not guessing move by move. They pick a plan that fits the position, follow it while it works and switch when the dice change the picture. There are only a handful of plans to learn, and each one can be explained without jargon.

Five game plans

1. The running game

You are ahead in the race and want to get home before your opponent can catch you. Move your back checkers out early, break contact as soon as you safely can, and avoid leaving blots within direct range. Once no checkers can hit each other, it is a pure race, and the side with the lower pip count and the move usually wins. Learn to check the race with the pip count before you commit to this plan.

2. The holding game

You keep an anchor, a point with two or more of your checkers, on your opponent's side of the board, most often on their 4-point, 5-point or bar point. The anchor is safe and it watches the outfield. As your opponent brings checkers home, they may have to leave a blot, and your anchor gives you a shot at it. This plan suits positions where you are behind in the race but not hopelessly.

3. The priming game

A prime is a row of made points that blocks your opponent's checkers. Six points in a row cannot be passed at all; five or four in a row are still hard to get past. The idea is to trap one or more enemy checkers behind the wall, then walk the prime forward into your home board. Priming games are slow and patient, and they reward building points in order rather than scattering checkers.

4. The blitz

A blitz is an all-out attack. You hit your opponent's blots in your home board, again and again, while making new home points so they struggle to enter from the bar. If it works, the game ends quickly, often with a gammon. It works best when your opponent has several checkers back and your home board is already stronger than theirs. If the attack stalls, you can be left with a loose position, so commit only when you have the builders to keep going.

5. The back game

This is a plan for when you are far behind. You hold two anchors in your opponent's home board and wait for a late shot while they bear in. It is the hardest plan to play well: your timing must be right, or you will be forced to break your own board before the shot comes. Beginners should treat the back game as a last resort rather than a goal.

How the plans fit together

A game often moves from one plan to another. A holding game can turn into a race after you roll a big double; a priming game can become a blitz once your opponent has two checkers on the bar. Ask yourself after every few rolls: am I ahead or behind in the race, and whose board is stronger? Those two answers usually point to the right plan. The usual first steps from the starting position are listed in opening moves.

Five beginner habits

  1. Make points, especially your 5-point. Points are safe and they block. Your 5-point is the most useful one early on, because it is hard for your opponent to escape past it.
  2. Count shots before you leave a blot. Sometimes a blot is unavoidable. Choose the one that the fewest rolls hit, and prefer distances of more than 6 pips.
  3. Do not stack. Five or six checkers on one point are wasted. Spread them so you have builders ready for new points.
  4. Keep an eye on timing. If you are waiting for a shot, make sure you have spare moves elsewhere so you are not forced to break good points.
  5. Review your games. Look back at a few key moves after each session. Free analysis tools can show where you went wrong; see analysis software.

None of these habits require memorizing anything. Pick one, focus on it for a week of games, then add the next.