Knowing Different Backgammon Strategies

The more ways we know on how to win at backgammon the better our winning odds and the more fun we have. Here are some of the known effective backgammon strategies for winning in the game.

The most common strategy is to make it to the home board as quickly as possible so that bearing off can start at once. Moving the checkers as fast as we could on the board gets them hit less by the opponent. It can also protect our checkers from getting trapped and unable to proceed with each turn. This is called a running game backgammon strategy. But this is done smoothly if we are leading in the game.

We may also opt to hit an enemy blot from a held point on the enemy home board to gain an advantage. We may also choose to roll big doubles to advance our checkers and then proceed to a running game when ahead. This strategy is called a holding game where we try to keep a backgammon point high on the board of our opponent.

A priming strategy is among the favorite backgammon strategies of players to gain an advantage over the opponent. It is about establishing several primes on our home board located side by side. It is best to build primes on 6 successive points on our board. This prevents enemy checkers trapped behind this hindrance from moving. Ideal primes are placed within the 11-point and 2-point areas. We should gradually transfer them to our home board.

We can also try doing the blitz to secure our home board and make sure that the opponent finds it very difficult to enter hit pieces back on the board. When the opponent cannot re-enter hit pieces back to the board we can use the opportunity for a running game benefit and win.

The backgame strategy is also an effective winning tactic. Here we position two to four anchors on the enemy home board where we can easily hit enemy checkers forming blots. Then, while maintaining such anchors for a short while, we also form primes on our home board. Anchors are also great blockades against enemy checkers. Backgames are often used to counter an opponent who is ahead of us in a game.

In backgammon, strategies become effective when we get a good opening worked out. We can then manage well in the mid part of the game and work out other strategies as we proceed to the endgame.