A Look at Backgammon

What is it about the game of backgammon that has kept players enthralled through the centuries? For make no mistake, this is one game that has been around for a very long time. The ancient Greeks and Turks played a variation of this game in the past and it has remained a firm favorite of Eastern Mediterranean countries up until the present day.

The game itself is relatively simple to learn, at least the basics. There is a skill element mixed with the chance element of the roll of the dice.

The skill comes from making the right moves so as to strike a balance between safe play and creating chances to overcome your opponent's strategy. This article is not meant as a tutorial on how to play the game, but more of a strategy primer and some reasoning behind the moves that a player can make.

Strategy is All

The key to gaining the upper hand in this game is in making a measured risk in leaving certain moves open to attack (leaving a single counter on its own) while maintaining a strong defense and offense. Here's the general idea.

The first order of the day is to build a strong internal wall of double counters inside your home sector. The way to do this is to make best use of dice throws where there is a 3 and 1, 4 and 2, 5 and 3 or 6 and 1. These throws allow you to move two counters "inside" and place them atop one another, forming a two counter barrier that your opponent cannot land on.

In the early stages of the game, this may not seem like a good strategy from a novice perspective, where the temptation is to try and get the two furthest counters out of enemy territory and on their way home. But this is not necessarily the best use of your dice throws.

1. By building up a "wall" inside your own home sector, you achieve two aims. 
2. You make it more difficult for your opponent to get his two counters out of your home sector.

You create a barrier so that when you get the chance to knock one of your opponent's counters off the board, its tougher for him to throw a number that will allow him back into the game. Obviously, the longer you can prevent your opponent from moving, the more free moves you have to further build your defenses.

Aiming for Gammon or Backgammon

The aim of course is to not just win the game, but to end game with a gammon or even backgammon if possible. If you don't know what these are, here is a quick explanation:

• Gammon: You remove all your counters before your opponent removes one of his (counts as double game).
• Backgammon: You remove all your counters before your opponent removes one of his and he still has one counter in your home bar (counts as treble game).

The value of the won game also depends on the placement of the doubling dice. This is a good way to rack up lots of games fast and win more points.

There are many rules and strategies in this game and far too many to do justice to in this short article. But as an intro to strategy, this is the first of a series of articles I have planned that will explain more of the game as I go along.


Kenny Roth