How to play Backgammon: beginner strategy

Backgammon mixes luck and skill. The dice decide what you can do, but good decisions win most games in the long run. These ideas cover the essentials.

The rules in brief

Each player has 15 checkers moving in opposite directions. Each die is a separate move, and doubles give four moves. You can’t land where your opponent has two or more checkers. Land on a lone opposing checker (a blot) to hit it to the bar; it must re-enter in your home board before its owner moves anything else. Once all your checkers are home, bear them off. First to bear off all 15 wins.

Good opening moves

• 3 and 1: make your 5-point (8/5, 6/5). The best opening roll.
• 4 and 2: make your 4-point (8/4, 6/4).
• 6 and 1: make your 7-point, the bar point (13/7, 8/7).
• 5 and 3: make your 3-point (8/3, 6/3).

Make points

Two or more checkers on a point are safe and block your opponent. Points in your home board and the bar point are the most valuable, because they make it hard for hit checkers to come back in.

Watch your blots

A single checker can be hit. The closer it is to an opposing checker (within six points), the more likely it is to be hit. If you must leave a blot, leave it where few numbers hit it, or where being hit costs little.

Escape your back checkers

Your two checkers starting deep in your opponent’s home board can get trapped behind a wall of points (a prime). Move them out early, before the wall goes up.

Hit or race?

Check the pip count. If you’re well ahead, avoid contact and race home. If you’re behind, keep checkers back and look for chances to hit.

Bearing off safely

When bearing off while your opponent still has checkers behind yours, avoid leaving blots. Take checkers off evenly from your highest points down.