Backgammon starting positions

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

Backgammon is a game of strategy with the aim of being the first player to be able to bear off (remove) all their checkers from the board. The backgammon starting positions adopted have a crucial role in determining which player is most likely to achieve this objective. Therefore, time spent considering backgammon starting positions is well spent.

Experienced backgammon players often aim for a dice roll of 3-1 that allows them to make the fifth point soon after the game begins. This is considered once of the most advantageous of backgammon starting positions because this point is located in the home area of the board, and this has a number of advantages. One of the key gains in taking this point is that it provides a good basis around which you can build a prime to block the advance of the opposing checkers. At the same time, possession of the fifth point gives some protection against getting your checkers hit.

The bar point is another of the most popular backgammon starting positions. This requires getting a dice roll of 6-1. Among the advantages of the bar point is that it effectively closes off a dangerous gap between the sixth and eight points that the opposing playing would be tempted to exploit. Since it places you within only six points of the other player’s running checkers, it is also a strong position around which you can build a prime to block in your opponent.