Backgammon Tips

Basic backgammon tips for strategy and positioning Whether you're ahead or behind, these backgammon tips can help you to make strategic moves that will frustrate your opponent and thwart his or her backgammon strategy. Prime numbers A prime in backgammon refers to consecutive points that are held by two or more of a player's checkers. Building a prime and rolling it forward is one of the most devastating ways of winning a gammon, especially if you can establish a full prime, or six consecutive points. If you have a good chance of building a full prime, consider using the doubling cube. Lose Faster In games where you're already substantially behind and having trouble establishing anchors, it might be better to take hits and focus on your backgame or defensive strategy.

Don't Distribute

If you're at a bearing-off point, use your rolls to clear checkers, not to fill holes. If there's no danger of being hit, you'll get more use out of high rolls by keeping checkers at the five and six points and clearing your lower points than by moving the outer checkers to lower points.

Shallow Anchors

Avoid setting low-point anchors too early in the game. You'll likely get more use out of checkers anchored at the five and six points than at the one and two points.

Hit Wisely

In general, it's best to hit when you have the chance, especially if you're on your opponent's side of the board. However, don't pass on an opportunity to build a useful prime in order to hit an unimportant checker.

Count Pips

The pip count refers to the aggregate number of points needed to move all of your checkers off the board. For beginning players, it's important to remember that backgammon is ultimately a racing game, and pip count matters as much as positioning. If you're ahead in the pip count, play conservatively and avoid leaving blots, i.e. single checkers, for your opponent to hit.