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How to Play Backgammon
To Hit or To Run?Andy James |
Every so often, you get into a situation in which your roll can take your last checker to the safe region, where your opponent can no longer hit you, or you can hit one of your opponent's blots. more |
Mastering Backgammon (35)Bill Robertie |
Earlier in this series, we looked at the various possibilities on the opening roll. Of the 15 opening rolls, five were virtually forced: 3-1, 4-2, 5-3, 6-1, and 6-5. In these cases, either making a blocking point or running to the midpoint was far better more |
Mastering Backgammon (34)Bill Robertie |
Blitzing positions are very double-edged and dangerous, and as a group are probably less well understood than almost any other group of positions, even for the very best players. more |
Mastering Backgammon (33)Bill Robertie |
High-level backgammon is played in two ways. In clubs, people normally play cash games, either heads-up or in chouettes. In these contests, each game is independent of any games that might have come before or after. more |
Mastering Backgammon (32)Bill Robertie |
Six-point primes are backgammon's ultimate weapon. Five-primes are strong, but six-primes are better. No matter how well you roll, you can't escape from behind a six-prime. It's maximum security. There's no tunneling out; you have to wait for the more |
Mastering Backgammon (31)Bill Robertie |
In most positions, the correct play with a given roll is the same regardless of the position of the doubling cube. This isn't always the case, however, and a good player needs to be alert to the situations where the position of the cube can determine th more |
Balanced Game Strategy for the Middle GameAndy James |
Almost every backgammon player, as a strategy, tries to own some points and leave no moves for the opponent at the beginning of the game. more |
Mastering Backgammon (30)Bill Robertie |
Back games are among the most interesting categories of backgammon positions. (Some enthusiasts, like myself, consider them by far the most interesting.) Obvious plays are often wrong and counter-intuitive ideas abound. more |
Mastering Backgammon (29)Bill Robertie |
One of the most difficult choices in the early and middle stages of a backgammon game is the choice between creating structure (a blocking prime) and attending to issues on the other side of the board. more |
Mastering Backgammon (28)Bill Robertie |
Many backgammon games follow a definable thread from beginning to end. The game plays out more or less as both sides expect, the strategic themes are well understood, and what is required from the players is mostly accuracy of technique. more |
Mastering Backgammon (27)Bill Robertie |
Last time we looked at a couple of positions where the theme was to keep checkers moving into the outfield when one side was playing a back game. more |
Mastering Backgammon (26)Bill Robertie |
Back games are among the most interesting, and the most difficult, of backgammon game types. In a true back game, one player makes two or three points in his opponent's home board, then hopes to hit a shot and contain a checker as his opponent bears off more |
Mastering Backgammon (25)Bill Robertie |
Today we'll start to look at some problems from the recent Party Gammon Millions tournament in the Bahamas. With a field that included most of the world's best players, the tournament was exceptionally hard-fought. more |
Mastering Backgammon (24)Bill Robertie |
In the opening, plays that hit blots or make key points tend to easily dominate all other maneuvering plays. Interesting choices, however, arise when both choices are available. Do you hit, or do you make a point? more |
Mastering Backgammon (23)Bill Robertie |
When contemplating a middle game double, don't make the mistake of looking only at your position. Remember to look just as carefully at the weaknesses in your opponent's position. more |
Mastering Backgammon (22)Bill Robertie |
In backgammon, most hits are done for one of two reasons: to gain ground in the race, or to attack a key point. A rarer, but still important use of the hit, is a defensive idea called the tempo play. more |
Mastering Backgammon (21)Bill Robertie |
A lot of backgammon positions are pretty simple: the right play is either forced or completely obvious. Many others involve a clear decision between two very different alternatives. These problems may be hard to solve, but at least the choices are clear. more |
Mastering Backgammon (20)Bill Robertie |
One of the most dangerous positions in backgammon is that of the out-timed and rapidly deteriorating position. Take a look at Position 1. more |
Mastering Backgammon (19)Bill Robertie |
Among the most interesting backgammon positions are those I like to call the proto-back games. These are games where the defender has several men back, perhaps behind a prime, perhaps not, and can still go in several different directions, one of which is more |
Mastering Backgammon (18)Bill Robertie |
Among the many relatively unexplored position types in backgammon is one I call the "Late Game Blitz". The general idea is pretty simple. One side has a blitz in progress. more |
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