Last updated on January 29, 2025
In this Deluxe Backgammon post for beginners, we examine some of the important concepts behind the game. Backgammon is a two-player board game that involves rolling dice and moving checkers around a board. It is a game of strategy and chance that has been played for thousands of years, and it requires players to make strategic decisions throughout the game. To be successful in the game of backgammon, it is important to understand several key concepts that will help guide your play.
Major goals
The first and most important concept to keep in mind is the two major goals of the game. The first goal is to trap your opponent’s runners behind a blockade, while the second goal is to escape your own two runners before they are trapped by your opponent. This means that you should always be thinking about how you can position your checkers to block your opponent’s runners while also ensuring that your own runners are safe.
Securing points
Another important concept is making or securing points. Points are the spaces on the board where checkers can land, and securing points is crucial to winning the game. Home board points are particularly important because they make it difficult for your opponent to re-enter the game after they have been hit. In addition to blocking, home board points also help you build a strong foundation for your checkers and set up opportunities to make strategic moves.
The order in which you make your points is also important. The most valuable points to close first are your five-point, four-point, and bar-point in that order. Closing these points first will give you the strongest foundation and make it more difficult for your opponent to make strategic moves against you.
To improve your chances of making key points, it is important to bring spare checkers or builders to bear upon those points. Builders are two or more checkers stacked together, and they can be used to make points or block your opponent’s runners. By having builders available, you can increase your chances of making key points and gain an advantage over your opponent.
Splitting
Another important concept in backgammon is when to split your back checkers. Back checkers are the checkers located in the back of your board, and splitting them means moving them to different points on the board. The best time to split your back checkers is early in the game before your opponent has closed any of their home-board points. By splitting your back checkers early, you can gain a strategic advantage and set yourself up for success later in the game.
Flexibility
Playing safe, or leaving no blots, is less important than other concepts such as having a flexible position and creating builders. While it is important to avoid leaving blots that your opponent can hit, it is more important to focus on creating a flexible position that allows you to make strategic moves and respond to your opponent’s moves. By creating builders and keeping your position flexible, you can increase your chances of success and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Anchors
An advanced anchor is an important asset in backgammon. An anchor is a point on the board where you have two or more checkers located, and it can be used to block your opponent’s runners and set up strategic moves. An advanced anchor is a strong anchor located in your opponent’s home board. It can give you an advantage by allowing you to make daring manoeuvres because you have a safe place to re-enter a checker if hit. It also creates difficulties for your opponent as they bring their checkers home as the advanced anchor could be abandoned to attack a loose blot in the outer board. Finally, an advanced anchor hampers your opponent’s ability to build a prime in their home board.
5-points
Finally, it is important to fight for the five-points. The five-point is a valuable point on the board that can be used to block your opponent’s runners and set up strategic moves. If your opponent slots their five-point, hit back if you can. If they bring a checker up to your five-point, don’t let it stay there. By fighting for the five-point, you can gain a strategic advantage and put yourself in a better position to win the game.
Understand and employ these key backgammon concepts in your checker play and you will see improvements in your game.
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