Backgammon Bear Off
When players start removing their checkers from the board into the bar, this is called the backgammon bear off stage. Players can only start bearing off from the board once all their checkers are in their home board. Essentially, the player needs to remove the checker from the point that corresponds to the number on the die. (Eg. if the number on the die shows five, the checker should be removed from the fifth point on the board).
The bearing off stage is extremely important, even though some players may feel that since they are reaching the final stages of the game, there is no use placing great importance on how and when to bear off. In fact, this stage is so critical that many games have actually changed direction due to lack of planning by the opponent.
When to Double in a Bear off?
In the bearing off stage, players should choose to double in a number of circumstances. Firstly, if they have two checkers left in points 2 and 3, they should double because they will most probably bear off on their next throw. Also, if the opponent has three at the bear off, while the player has two, the player should double. An exception is if the two checkers are on point #6. Finally, if the player has three checkers on his home board with less than 15 pips, he should double.
What Strategies to Use when Bearing off
Deal with Bear Off Gaps:
In some circumstances, players cannot bear off from the backgammon board because of a gap. In this case, they should try and fill the highest gap available. Players should remember not to create a new gap in place of the old one and should also try and move checkers from the most populated points.
To Move or Bear Off?
Sometimes players are faced with a situation where they can either move their checkers in their home board or bear off from the board. Statistics show that in this case, the best choice would be to bear off the checkers. The logic behind this decision is that if players throw a double six later on in the game, they can save their rolls.
Balance the Bear Off
A well-balanced home board makes for easier bearing off. There are a number ways to go about ensuring a backgammon board that is balanced well. Players can make sure that all their points contain the same number of checkers at the bear off stage. The idea behind this is that players can remove their checkers easily from the board, no matter what numbers come up on the dice roll.
Another strategy used by players is to distribute the checkers over the backgammon home board in a way that they are situated at different points. Players should stack checkers in a pyramid shape that is narrow at point six but is big at point one.
