Backgammon is both a race and a war game. It’s a race because the goal is to get your pieces around the board and off before your opponent does. But it’s also a war game, filled with tactical battles. You block your opponent’s progress, send their pieces back to the start, and build defences to protect your own. The dice play a part, but a lot of the game depends on the skill of the players and how they apply tactics and strategy to win the game. It’s this mix of strategy, competition and luck that makes backgammon so exciting. If you’ve ever read The Art of War by Sun Tzu, you’ll notice how much some of its lessons apply to backgammon. In this post, we will take a look at some of Sun Tzu’s famous quotes and see how they apply to backgammon.
Know yourself and your opponent
Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” In backgammon, this means knowing your strengths, are your preferences building primes (blockades)? Or do you excel in aggressive play, hitting your opponent’s blots (blitzing)? At the same time, watch your opponent. Are they cautious, or do they take risks? Adjust your strategy to exploit their tendencies.
The Art of Deception
Sun Tzu taught, “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” Backgammon has its own form of trickery. For example, you might leave a piece open to lure your opponent into hitting it, only to counterattack and trap them. Or you could create a position that looks weak but hides a strong plan.
Timing is critical
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized,” Sun Tzu advised. Timing is crucial in backgammon. Knowing when to attack, like hitting a blot or breaking a blockade, and when to focus on escaping or securing your position can change the course of the game. However, hesitation means an opportunity could be missed. Take your time, evaluate all of your options and seize an opportunity.
Adaptability
Sun Tzu emphasised being responsive and adapting to your circumstances, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” Backgammon is full of surprises because of the dice. You might roll numbers you didn’t expect, or your opponent could disrupt your plans. The best players adapt quickly, turning bad rolls into new opportunities and staying calm under pressure.
Flexibility
Sun Tzu said, “Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.” This is a perfect lesson for backgammon. Maybe you started with a strong plan to build a blockade, but the dice didn’t cooperate. Sticking stubbornly to that plan might cost you the game. Be willing to pause, consider your options and choose the appropriate strategy. In other words, be flexible.
Backgammon strategy
Although, strictly speaking, backgammon is a racing game, it mirrors a battle in how it combines planning, adaptability, and head-to-head strategy. It’s a mental battle where you balance offence and defence while racing to the finish line riding your luck. As we have seen there are parallels between backgammon strategy and tactics and The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Let’s take a look at some backgammon strategies and the parallels that apply to each.
Return from the dead
The back game is not a starting game strategy, and it shouldn’t be used as a first choice. It is forced upon players because they have been hit on multiple occasions and they are well behind in the race. The objective is to maintain two or more anchors in your opponent’s home board and wait for an opportunity for a late hit. As Sun Tzu said, “The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
Whilst waiting patiently for the opportunity to hit, you slowly secure your home board. When the hit happens, hopefully, you have already secured most, if not all, of the home board points and your opponent is trapped. Now it’s the time to break the anchors you made and bring the rest of the checkers home, while your opponent still struggles with re-entering from the bar.
Patience
The holding game in backgammon is a strategy is commonly employed when you find yourself slightly behind your opponent in the race, but not necessarily with checkers being hit. It is not as severe a situation as when forced to play a back game strategy. The main objective of the holding strategy is to maintain control of a point on your opponent’s side of the board. The ideal locations to control are either the 20-point or the bar-point, as they offer the greatest likelihood of hitting your opponent’s checkers as they try to move them toward their home board. The 20-point also gives a hit checker a safe place to re-enter from the bar. Additionally, these points can be used to block your opponent’s progress. Sun Tzu stated, “He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.” Patience is the key with the holding game strategy.
Build a wall
According to Sun Tzu, “Attack is the secret of defence; defence is the planning of an attack.” In a priming game, you secure several consecutive points to block your opponent’s rear checkers from escaping. It is like building a wall. The more home board points in your prime, the stronger your position will be. This is because secure home board points not only block checkers, but they can also prevent re-entry from the bar. The ideal position is to trap your opponent’s checker behind a six-prime, which is impossible to escape. Ultimately, you will need to break the prime and begin to bear off. That is when the game enters another phase and you need to be careful that your opponent’s trapped checker doesn’t hit in revenge.
Run!
The running strategy in backgammon focuses on racing your checkers home without needing to hit your opponent’s blots. Use this strategy when your pip count is significantly better than your opponent’s, giving you a clear racing advantage. The objective is to move all your checkers quickly to your home board, bypassing your opponent’s checkers entirely. Prioritise speed and efficiency over blocking or attacking, as winning the race depends on maintaining your pip lead. This approach works best when you’re ahead in the pip count and can safely avoid confrontations. As Sun Tzu said, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
Attack the weak points
According to Sun Tzu, “In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.” The blitz is known as the attacking backgammon strategy. It is an aggressive play that requires all out attack where you hit your opponent at every opportunity. In this strategy, you should hit your opponent’s blots with the intention to keep them on the bar. Once you hit his pieces you start bringing your pieces to your home and try to secure more points. As the blitz continues, it becomes more and more difficult for your opponent to re-enter from the bar. The perfect blitz is to secure all the points in your home while your opponent’s pieces are on the bar. Be aware that this strategy can grind to a halt very quickly, it only takes a hit in return by your opponent to turn the momentum. It is all about striking at the opponent’s weakest points, their blots.
Best backgammon strategy
There is no perfect backgammon strategy. Every strategy needs to be applied at the right moment. A good backgammon player knows how to play all the strategies, read the board, and play the right strategy according to the status of the game. For example, if you have a significantly better pip count it is time for the running game strategy, when you are really back in the race, the running game is a bad strategy, and the back game strategy needs to be applied. The best Backgammon strategy is flexibility, knowing when to adopt the correct strategy according to what is happening on the board.
Conclusion – Backgammon, The Art of War
In summary, backgammon is a game of skill and strategy that requires you to think strategically about the moves you make. By applying the principles from The Art of War and the strategies listed above, you can improve your backgammon skills. Understand your position, adapt to the unexpected, and never stop looking for opportunities. Backgammon isn’t just a dice game, it’s a game of strategy, patience, and smart decisions.