Want to win more backgammon games? These 15 tips will improve your play immediately. They’re practical, proven, and easy to apply starting from your very next game.
Tip 1: Make Your 5-Point Early
Your own 5-point is the single most important point on the board. It strengthens your home board, blocks opponent runners, and forms the foundation of a prime. Prioritize making it whenever you can.
Tip 2: Don’t Stack Checkers
Having 5 or more checkers on one point is almost always wasteful. Those extra checkers contribute nothing — they can’t block, they can’t hit, and they limit your options. Spread your checkers to make more points.
Tip 3: Hit in the Early Game
In the first several moves, hit blots whenever it’s reasonably safe. Sending an opponent to the bar costs them time and gives you a chance to build your board while they’re trying to re-enter.
Tip 4: Maintain an Anchor
Keeping a point in your opponent’s home board (an “anchor”) provides two benefits:
- Safety — You won’t be gammoned if you have an advanced anchor
- Hitting chance — Your anchor can hit opponent checkers as they come home
The best anchor points are the 20-point (opponent’s 5-point) and 21-point (opponent’s 4-point).
Tip 5: Know Your Pip Count
Your pip count tells you who’s winning the race. Count regularly:
- If you’re ahead, consider playing a running game (avoid contact)
- If you’re behind, maintain contact and look for hitting opportunities
- The starting pip count for both players is 167
Tip 6: Use the Doubling Cube
Many casual players ignore the cube entirely. Don’t. The doubling cube is where points are won and lost. If you think you’re clearly ahead, double. If you’re doubled and have a reasonable chance (25%+), take.
Tip 7: Don’t Run Your Back Checkers Too Early
It’s tempting to escape your back checkers from the 24-point immediately. But often it’s better to split them (move one to the 23 or 21 point) to establish an anchor, rather than running them immediately into danger.
Tip 8: Build a Prime
A prime is a wall of consecutive occupied points. Four consecutive points is good, five is great, and six is impenetrable. If you can trap opponent checkers behind a prime, you have a commanding advantage.
Tip 9: Understand Safe vs. Bold Play
- Play safe when you’re ahead in the race and have a strong position
- Play bold when you’re behind — you need to create chances, and safe play will just lead to a slow loss
- In money play, gammon risk affects whether to play safe or bold
Tip 10: Learn the Opening Moves
There are only 15 possible opening rolls, and the best response for each has been calculated. Memorizing they gives you an edge in every single game. See our Opening Moves Guide.
Tip 11: Count Shots
Before leaving a blot, count how many dice rolls would hit it:
- Direct shot (1-6 away): 11-17 out of 36 rolls hit
- Indirect shot (7-12 away): 2-6 out of 36 rolls hit
- If the number of shots is high, try to find a safer alternative
Tip 12: Don’t Fear Being Hit
While you shouldn’t leave blots carelessly, sometimes being hit isn’t terrible. If you’re behind in the race, being hit can actually help — it lets you stay in the game longer and look for opportunities to hit back.
Tip 13: Pay Attention to Board Strength
Your home board strength determines how effective your hits are:
- Strong home board (4-6 points made): Hitting is devastating — opponents struggle to re-enter
- Weak home board (1-2 points made): Hits are less effective because opponents re-enter easily
Build your board strength before launching an attack if possible.
Tip 14: Practice Against a Computer
Playing against computer AI is one of the best ways to improve:
- Computers don’t make emotional decisions
- You can play at your own pace and think through each move
- You’ll see many different positions and learn to handle them
- Try our free AI game
Tip 15: Analyze Your Games
After playing, think about key decisions:
- Was there a move you weren’t sure about?
- Did you make a cube decision you now question?
- What would you do differently?
Use analysis software (like GNU Backgammon or XG) to check your plays against computer-optimal moves. This is the fastest way to improve.
Bonus: Common Beginner Mistakes
- Running too early — Trying to escape back checkers before establishing anchors
- Ignoring the cube — Not using the doubling cube at all
- Playing too safe — Avoiding all risk even when behind
- Not counting pip count — Flying blind in the race
- Stacking — Piling checkers on the 6-point or midpoint
Next Steps
- Strategy Guide — Go deeper into strategy
- Probability Guide — Understand the math
- Play vs Computer — Practice these tips now!