Backgammon Strategy: Advanced Tactics for Winning

Aside from regular tactics like an opening backgammon strategy and hitting and trapping methods, there are other basic tactics for winning at backgammon. Here are some advanced winning methods to add to our overall backgammon strategy.

A running game backgammon strategy is moving our checker pieces as fast as possible around the board. This tactic is most effective when we are ahead in the game. When this seems ineffective we may switch to playing a holding game backgammon strategy. This is done by gaining control of a triangle or point located on the home board of the enemy. This is referred to as an "anchor."

An anchor may be used to hit an enemy blot right from the home board of the enemy. It may also be used as a backgammon strategy in rolling huge doubles to let the checkers escape and assume a running game instead.

Another backgammon strategy is priming. This tactic means forming a blockade of six ally checkers - a "prime" - which is a row of ally checkers in consecutive pattern. When we have this enemy checkers are prevented from going through the prime and is left stuck behind it. The enemy checker remains trapped there until our prime is broken through. When the prime is formidable we have attained what is called a "blitz."

A blitz is a backgammon strategy that involves hedging the home board with ally checkers in a quick manner. This is done while keeping as many enemy checkers on the bar as possible. When we keep the opponent busy with re-entering hit checkers each roll turn the opponent has we can orchestrate a running game advantage and win the backgammon game.

Another advanced backgammon strategy is called the "backgame" where we position two or more anchors on the enemy home board. At the same time, we also build a prime on our home board. Our anchors in enemy territory hinder their free movement while they become sitting ducks to our hits right in their turf. But backgames are a last-ditch backgammon strategy not to be used as an opening backgammon strategy.

Finally, there's the duplication backgammon strategy. Here, we position checkers such that they are difficult to hit except by rolling similar dice results. For instance, the enemy won't hit our blots except that a roll of 2 is produced due to the way the blots are arranged.

With an advanced backgammon strategy we are a step ahead of the enemy and keeping the opponent busy trying to escape from our traps.