Even with all of this discussion about anchors, primes, and board strength, at its core, backgammon is a race. The competing priorities present in any given position can make it hard to see the forest through the trees. Oftentimes, decisions merely boil down to the race: if you’re ahead in the pip count, just run.…

We’ve reached the point where it’s finally time to memorize the opening rolls. Because a game can’t start with a doublet, there are only 15 dice combinations we need to learn how to play, and at most about 35 reasonable ways those can be played. The optimal play actually changes a bit depending on the…

In backgammon, if given the option, it’s usually better to do two good things than only one good thing. The strongest example of this principle is if you can make an inner board point while also hitting one of your opponent’s checkers. This is known as “pointing on” or “pointing on head.” Let’s adjust the…

We have laid the groundwork, learning about safe play and the different game plans. Finally, we are ready to start improving our play! We will begin with checker play, and will focus on cube play in a subsequent module. Here, we present some basic rules of thumb and the reasons for them, and hopefully will…

Following the last lesson, it should come as no surprise to learn of the importance of the 5-pt in your homeboard. It is the most important point on your board for many reasons: since it is an inner-board point, it enables a blitzing game plan by increasing your opponent’s dancing numbers; since it is adjacent…