Backgammon Mid Game Strategy Moves
The longest period of a backgammon game is known as mid-game. It is here that players try to make all the correct moves so that they can stay ahead in the game and eventually win it. Good backgammon mid-game moves are imperative for a successful end. Some of the more common mid-game moves include building primes, doubling the game’s stakes and hitting the opponent. We take a look at these in more depth.
Backgammon Priming
Priming happens when both backgammon players try to block each other, while at the same time, each player is trying to free their back checkers on the board. Although both players might each have, for example, a four prime block (ie. four rows of checkers blocking the other player), this does not necessarily mean that both players are in an equal position. There are several other factors to consider when trying to determine who is the stronger of the two. Things to look out for include: The position of the trapped checkers (checkers right behind the prime have a better chance of escaping than those further back); possibility of advancing checkers (if a player has checkers to advance and the opponent does not, the player is in a better position as he can still advance without breaking the prime. The best-case scenario will be if the opponent needs to start breaking up his prime to continue in the game); how big is the prime? (a four-prime block is less effective than a five-prime one, while a six-prime block stops the opponent from advancing altogether).
Hitting the Opponent
When a player moves his checker to a point that is occupied by a single checker belonging to the opponent and sends it to the bar, this is known as hitting. However, hitting should not be carried out in all circumstances, and players should ask themselves some pertinent questions before doing so. Some things to question include: Where is the opponent’s checker? Is this a point that I want to make? Can I hit two checkers instead of one?
Doubling the Stakes
When a backgammon game is played for stakes, a doubling cube is used. The stake is one at the beginning of the game but by mid-game, players will want to start increasing the number of stakes, according to their position in the game. If a player offers to double the stakes and the other opponent accepts, the doubling cube will then show two. Every time the stakes are doubled again, the cube will show 4, 8, 16, etc. If the opponent refuses, he forfeits the game and all the stakes to the other player. Players should consider several factors when considering offering or accepting a double. These include: the spread of the checkers across the backgammon board, the pip count, gammons and backgammons.
