Advanced backgammon tips to help you win

admin · Site Admin Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 862

Seasoned backgammon players know that, although a double six is always welcome, the roll of the dice is not all that counts. Here are a few advanced backgammon tips to help you defeat your opponent.

There are three different strategies used in backgammon. The simplest and most common is the 'running game'. This is when the players are simply in a race to get their checkers to the home board and borne off first. The emphasis is on speed and defense. In this type of game, it is important to keep all your checkers guarded and not leave out any blots (single checkers), as being caught will slow you down.

The second type of game is the 'holding game'. This involves leaving an anchor in the opponent's home board, in order to gain an advantage later in the game. While most beginners tend to withdraw their checkers as quickly as possible from enemy territory, being patient frequently pays off. If you have the nerve to leave your anchor until the other player starts bearing off, you could well be able to hit several of his checkers. This strategy goes hand in hand with an offensive state of play, going all out to trap your opponent's blots, even if it means putting your own at risk. You can find more advanced backgammon tips like these on many online backgammon websites.

Finally, you have the 'priming game', where the aim is to build a wall of checkers in your own home board, to prevent the opponent entering once they are on the bar. You can also use this method to obstruct any checkers that want to leave your home board.

Armed with these advanced backgammon tips, you are ready to take on the competition.