Backgammon Playing Styles: Aggressive vs. Positional Play
Watch a few players and you will notice that each has a style. Some hit whenever they can and enjoy a wild position. Others build points patiently and avoid risks. Neither is right in every position. The best players are not "aggressive" or "safe" by temperament; they read the position and choose the style it calls for. Knowing your own tendency helps you see where you are likely to go wrong.
The aggressive style
An aggressive player looks for chances to hit, attacks blots in his home board and is willing to leave his own blots to bring builders into play. The strengths of this style are real:
- Hitting costs your opponent pips and time, since a hit checker must start again from the bar.
- A checker on the bar cannot be used to build anything, so attacks slow down your opponent's development.
- A successful attack can win a gammon, worth double.
The weakness is overextension. Every blot you leave can be hit back, and an attack that fails can leave your checkers scattered while your opponent's board grows stronger. Aggressive players tend to underestimate return shots.
The positional style
A positional player prefers to make points, build a prime and keep his checkers connected. He hits when it clearly helps and otherwise plays safe. This style brings:
- Solid structures, such as a five- or six-point prime that traps enemy checkers.
- Anchors, points in the opponent's home board that give safe landing spots and future shots.
- Fewer swings, since few blots are left to be hit.
The weakness is passivity. A player who never takes risks can miss the moment to attack, let an opponent escape his back checkers for free, or leave his own checkers stacked and inflexible. Positional players tend to overvalue safety.
When to attack
Attacking is usually right when your opponent has several checkers in your home board, you have builders nearby to make points, and his home board is weak, so that even if he hits back, re-entering is easy for you. In those positions, hitting two checkers is often worth more than making a quiet point.
When to build
Building is usually right when your opponent's board is stronger than yours, when he has an anchor in your home board (so attacks have little effect), or when you already have a checker or two of his trapped and the main job is to keep them there.
Style and the cube
An old piece of advice says aggressive players should "never miss a chance to double." That is poor advice. A good double comes when your position is strong enough to justify it but not so strong that your opponent should pass. Doubling too early simply hands your opponent the cube. In match play the score matters too: at some scores it is right to be bolder with the cube, at others more careful. See the doubling cube for more.
Finding your balance
To improve, look at your losses. If you often lose after leaving too many shots, try more patience. If you often lose positions where you were "safe" but stuck, take more risks. Our articles on choosing a game plan and basic strategy help you decide which style a position needs.