Main Menu

Steps to Outwit Your Backgammon Rival

One thing that makes Backgammon's popularity grow is the game's ability to squeeze out its players' intellectual juices. Backgammon requires luck, intuition, and skill. These three factors are the challenges that each of the game's two players need to face.

To start the game, the player should be able to build a basic game strategy that will be proven better than their opponent's. Their familiarity with terms, such as holding, prime, and racing, needs to come into play. The player should be keen in determining their key points and strategy as the game progresses. They should also be on guard for their opponent's moves. If possible, the player should learn to anticipate their opponent's strategy through past moves and intentions, to create a better plan to outwit their rival.

But, aside from these basic tips, the following extra reminders should help any Backgammon player in improving their intuition.

Keep at least 2 alternatives available for every succeeding movement. It is always best to have open options every time the player moves their checker on a particular point.

It is wise to spread checkers in pairs. This strategy helps keep the player from being hit. The player can place their checkers at the bar for quicker movement if their checkers seem to be far from being hit.

Determine when it is wise to leave a shot. If the opponent's checker is left on the bar, the player can decide to either leave a blot or a prime. That's when it is appropriate to leave a shot.

Aim to hit the opponent's checker in the "away board." Backgammon specialists believe that this strategy is even more important than leaving a blot or blockade in the form of a prime.

Allow checkers to move out for hitting or anchoring. The player can start the game without aiming to occupy the ace-point. They can start focusing on the ace-point in the game's final stages.

Prioritize on the equity-points. In the first stage of the game, the player should start occupying the equity-points, or the fourth and fifth points, on both sides.

Know when to issue a double. The doubling move can either be a winning or losing tactic. So, the player should be very careful in accepting or declining, a double and redouble. Take note that this move can bring about dramatic changes in the game, as the break-even point of a double is always 25 percent.

Issue a redouble when there seems to be nothing to lose. An example of this is the second game of a three-game match, when the player has conceded the first game.

Close