Backgammon Anchoring

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

To understand what is Backgammon anchoring you have to first have a grasp of the way the backgammon board is set up. Player one places his checkers starting on the right hand edge closest to him on the following points, point 6 gets 5 points, point 8 gets 3 points, point 13 gets 5 points and point 24 gets 2 points. The points go from the player 1 closest right edge in a clockwise rotation so that the last 24 point is on the left farthest edge from him or her. This far edge with points 19 through 24 is the player's homeboard.

Backgammon Anchoring only can occur in the homeboard section of the board. An anchor for player 1 is made when two or more of his or her checkers are in the opponent's homeboard. Backgammon anchoring is essential to backgammon strategy because it makes it harder for the opponent to win since the object off the game is to get all your points into your homeboard and then bear them off. Backgammon anchoring makes this hard because the anchor makes the point not open and the other opponent can't place his or her checkers there. An open point would mean that there is only one checker on the point and then you have the right to place your checker there. Backgammon anchoring is great way to get your opponent lose the game. It is an essential tool for blocking and should be used when thinking of strategic ways to win the game.