Improve Your Backgammon Game: Choose the Right Game Plan
Many players who know the rules well still feel that they move checkers without a clear purpose. The quickest way to improve is to ask, before every roll: what is my plan in this game? Almost every position fits one of five classic game plans. Knowing which one you are playing, and when to switch, will improve your moves more than memorizing individual positions.
1. The running game
When you are ahead in the race and your back checkers can escape, the simplest plan is to run: bring everything home safely and bear off first. Use a pip count to check that you really are ahead. At the start of the game each side has 167 pips to travel, and an average roll is worth about 8.17 pips, so a lead of ten pips or more is a real edge. In a running game, avoid contact, do not leave shots without need, and keep your checkers moving toward home efficiently.
2. The priming game
If one or more of your opponent's checkers is still deep in your territory, try to trap it. You do this by making points in a row in front of it. Six consecutive points form a full prime, and a checker behind it cannot escape at all. Even a five-point prime is very hard to get past. A priming plan needs builders, spare checkers positioned to make the next point, and patience: you want to extend the prime and roll it forward toward your home board.
3. The holding game
When you are behind in the race, an anchor, two of your checkers on a point in your opponent's home board, gives you a safe base. From an advanced anchor such as your opponent's 5 point or 4 point, you wait for your opponent to leave a shot as he brings his checkers home. This plan keeps your chances alive without the risks of an all-out attack. Keep the rest of your position flexible so that you can use the shot when it comes.
4. The backgame
A backgame is a deeper version of the holding game, with two anchors in your opponent's home board. It is a plan for positions where you are far behind in the race. It can work, but it is hard to play: you need good timing, meaning you must still have a home board to contain the checker you hit. Treat the backgame as a last resort, not a goal.
5. The blitz
A blitz is an all-out attack on your opponent's checkers in your home board: hitting, pointing on blots and closing points so that they struggle to re-enter. It works best when your opponent has several checkers back and you have plenty of builders nearby. Against a board of four closed points, a checker on the bar enters only 20 times in 36; against five points, only 11 times in 36 (see backgammon probability). If the attack runs out of steam, however, you are often left with an awkward position.
Switching plans
Good players change plans as the dice change the position. A priming game can turn into a running game when your opponent's last checker escapes; a holding game can become a race when you roll a big double. After each roll, check two things: who is ahead in the race, and who has the stronger board. Those two answers usually point to the right plan.
Watch your opponent's plan too
Every plan has a natural counter. If your opponent is building a prime, escape early or anchor before it closes. If he is holding an anchor, bring your checkers home in a way that leaves as few shots as possible. If he is running, consider whether you can still block or hit. For more on each plan in depth, see basic strategy and backgame advice.