Backgammon Strategy

Below are some basic rules to abide by when playing backgammon and the best advice I can give you is to learn them and incorporate them into your game next time you play! Statistically they should produce a winning outcome.

 

Strategic Elements

Backgammon is an intricate strategic game that requires a thorough understanding of the rules. Whether playing backgammon online, or playing face to face with an opponent, knowing the rules inside out is critical. It is how a player utilizes the rules to his advantage during the game is the deciding factor in whether a player wins or loses.

There have been many books written about backgammon rules and strategies. We at Expert backgammon recommend reading up on the topic. Below are some of the rules players must abide by when playing online backgammon.

Anchors – Anchors are points on the board that are occupied by 2 or more of your men (checkers), situated on your opponent’s home board. Anchors are very useful if you are losing by a significant margin, as they greatly increase your chance to draw near to your opponent, if played properly. The idea is to purposely leave the anchors in the hope that your opponent will be forced to make a move which may expose a ‘blot’ (point occupied by a single man). Leaving the anchors will also give you a chance to focus on building your own home board with a ‘blockade’ of checkers.This strategy is considered risky; so must be executed with a touch of luck and excellent timing or it could lead to a worse loss, such as a gammon or backgammon. This strategy is predominantly used towards the end of the game, due to the risk factor incurred when applying the strategy.

Blockade – A blockade is 6 successive point checker walls consisting of 2 or more ‘men’ (also called a ‘prime’) the idea of the blockade is to prevent an opponents ‘men’ from getting through. This kind of backgammon strategy is appropriate only during the beginning rounds of the game.

Doubling Cube – A doubling cube can be used as a strategic tool. For example if an opponent refuses to accept the double he will be forced to leave the game. Therefore the cube can be used to speed up games by knocking out your opposing players. If you notice that you are leading by a large margin, it may be a good idea to use the cube. Because if the player declines the double cube you will win the game by default, and if he does accept the double, the odds will be in heavily stacked in your favour. Although there may be a chance of your opponent winning, you can use the doubling cube, to productively increase your own odds of winning. Playing online backgammon entails playing against a whole host of different opponents in a short period of time, and as a result, in order to be successful it’s advised you play the odds. Consequently, learning how to use the doubling cube appropriately is a crucial element of increasing your chances of winning.