Backgammon strategy
Every opening roll, the points that matter, and the five plans that win backgammon games. Short enough to read before your next match.
Opening moves
Moves are written from/to using your own point numbers, so 8/5 6/5 means one checker from the 8-point to the 5-point and one from the 6-point to the 5-point. Doubles cannot be the first roll, because ties are rolled again. These are the standard choices of strong players and computer programs.
| Roll | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1 | 8/5 6/5 | Makes your 5-point, the best point on the board. The best opening roll. |
| 4-2 | 8/4 6/4 | Makes your 4-point. |
| 6-1 | 13/7 8/7 | Makes your bar point (7), the start of a prime. |
| 5-3 | 8/3 6/3 | Makes your 3-point. |
| 6-5 | 24/13 | Lover's leap: runs a back checker all the way to safety. |
| 6-4 | 24/18 13/9, or 8/2 6/2, or 24/14 | Three reasonable choices; splitting and building is most popular. |
| 6-3 | 24/18 13/10 | Split the back checkers and bring a builder down. |
| 6-2 | 24/18 13/11 | Split and build. |
| 5-4 | 24/20 13/8, or 13/8 13/9 | Split to the opponent's 5-point area, or play safe from the midpoint. |
| 5-2 | 13/8 13/11 | Two builders from the midpoint. |
| 5-1 | 13/8 24/23 | Bring one down and split slightly. |
| 4-3 | 24/20 13/10, or 13/9 13/10 | Split, or bring two builders down. |
| 4-1 | 24/23 13/9 | A builder for your 5-point area. |
| 3-2 | 24/21 13/11, or 13/10 13/11 | Split, or two builders. |
| 2-1 | 13/11 24/23, or 13/11 6/5 | The quiet split, or the bold slot of your 5-point. |
Make the right points
Points in your home board block your opponent and give a hit checker fewer places to enter. The most valuable are your 5-point, then the 4-point and the bar point (your 7-point). The 1 and 2-points are made too deep: they do little for a long time. Bring builders (spare checkers) into the area around the points you want, so more rolls make them.
The five game plans
The running game
When you are ahead in the pip count, race. Break contact, bring your checkers home safely and bear off efficiently. Count pips: if you lead by about 10 percent or more, the race is usually yours.
The holding game
Keep an anchor (two checkers on a point) in your opponent's home board, ideally on their 4 or 5-point, and wait for a shot as they bring their checkers home.
The priming game
Build a wall of consecutive points in front of your opponent's back checkers. Four or five in a row is strong; six is a full prime that cannot be passed. Then walk the prime forward toward home.
The blitz
When your opponent has checkers on the bar and you have builders ready, attack: hit, make home board points, and try to close them out. Blitzes win many gammons.
The back game
A last resort when far behind: hold two anchors deep in your opponent's board and wait for a late hit. It is hard to play and loses many gammons, so avoid falling into it.
Blots: when to take risks
- Early in the game, leaving a blot to make a key point later is often right: being hit costs little when you have few checkers home.
- Count the shots: a blot 6 points or less away from an enemy checker can be hit directly; farther away needs a combination roll and is much safer.
- Leave blots where a hit would hurt your opponent least, or where a return hit is likely.
- Late in the game, with a strong board against you, play safe.
Bearing off well
- Bring checkers onto empty high points evenly; gaps on your 6 and 5-points waste rolls.
- With contact remaining, bear off safely first: avoid leaving blots while your opponent holds a point in your board.
- In a pure race, take a checker off with every die you can.
Practise against the computer
Backgammon Lounge's Hard level plays opening book moves and then looks two moves deep with a trained neural network. Turn on hints to see its move after yours, and the point numbers to follow the notation on this page.
Questions
What is the best opening roll in backgammon?
3-1, played 8/5 6/5 to make your 5-point. 4-2 (making the 4-point) and 6-1 (making the bar point) are next.
What should I do with 6-5 on the first roll?
Run a back checker from the 24-point to the 13-point (24/13), often called the lover's leap.
When should I race in backgammon?
When contact is broken or nearly so and you lead in the pip count. A lead of about 10 percent is usually enough to win the race.
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