Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in history, with possible forerunners dating back some 5,000 years. Despite its age, it remains one of the most exciting games you can play — combining strategy, probability, and just enough luck to keep every game unpredictable.

New to backgammon? The backgammon rules are on its game page; this post is about how to win.

Winning Strategy

1. Build Your Home Board

A strong home board makes it harder for your opponent to re-enter from the bar. Try to make points (have two or more checkers on a triangle) in your home board, especially the higher-numbered ones (4, 5, 6). Spread your checkers into made points rather than burying five on a single stack.

2. Hit When It Helps

Sending an opponent’s checker to the bar sets it back to the start and uses up part of their next roll to bring it in again, so a hit gains you ground in the race and time to build. A strong home board makes the hit hurt more, because the checker may stay stuck on the bar. With a weak home board a hit is still often right, but weigh it against the blots it leaves you: if the checker comes in and hits back, you can lose more than you gained.

3. Avoid Leaving Blots

A single checker on a point is vulnerable. When possible, move in ways that stack checkers together (making points) rather than leaving isolated blots your opponent can hit.

4. Control Key Points

The 5-point (both yours and your opponent’s) is the single most valuable point on the board. Making your 5-point early creates a strong foundation for your home board, and the best opening rolls are prized for the points they make on move one: 3-1 makes your 5-point, 6-1 your bar-point (the 7-point) and 4-2 your 4-point. Holding two checkers on your opponent’s 5-point (their 20-point from your perspective) or bar-point is called an advanced anchor: it gives you a safe landing spot deep in enemy territory and a platform to hit any blot they leave late in the game.

5. Build a Prime

Six made points in a row form a full prime that no checker can jump, since the highest die is a 6. Even a broken prime of three or four consecutive points is a strong wall. The plan is to hit an enemy blot and then close points in front of it, so it cannot escape while you bring the rest of your checkers home.

6. Know When to Run

If you have checkers trapped behind your opponent’s home board, don’t leave them there forever. Look for opportunities to escape, especially when your opponent’s board has gaps.

Once the two armies have passed each other and can no longer hit, the game is a pure race. Count pips (the total distance all your checkers must travel) to see who is ahead, and if you are, run and leave nothing behind. When bearing off while your opponent still holds an anchor in your home board, fill in the gaps and avoid leaving a blot: one bad roll can send a nearly finished checker all the way back.

7. Know About the Doubling Cube

The Backgammon game on this site plays single games without a doubling cube, so this tip is for when you play in clubs, tournaments or matches elsewhere. There, the doubling cube lets you raise the stakes. Offer a double when you think you have an advantage. As a rough guide for money play, accept a double when you expect to win at least about 25% of the time from the current position; that figure ignores gammons and the value of owning the cube, and in a match the right threshold depends on the score.

Common Beginner Mistakes

  • Spreading checkers too thin — you want to make points, not leave blots everywhere.
  • Ignoring the 5-point — make it whenever you can.
  • Running too early — don’t race until your position justifies it.
  • Not hitting — if your opponent leaves a blot and your home board is strong, hit it.

Ready to Play?

The best way to learn backgammon is to play. Play Backgammon online — the rules click quickly once you see them in action.