Fundamental Backgammon Strategy
Here's a quick look at the fundamental backgammon strategies. Understanding the principles behind each strategy moves every serious beginner forward into mastery.
The first fundamental backgammon strategy (and the one that most beginners start doing on their first few games) is the good old-fashioned race. Since initially, the idea behind backgammon is to be the first player to bear off all checkers the race is a logical first backgammon strategy to ever come to mind.
Any game of backgammon can turn into a pure race when there is no longer any contact between the two opposing sides. Backgammon games can usually turn out like this when one player makes a bunch of good high rolls/combinations and eventually escape checkers and makes a good run for home.
To determine if you have a good chance of winning with this kind of strategy would require some pip counting and a few probability skills. The cube action (given this type of backgammon strategy) can be surprisingly furious as stakes can double over and over.
The next fundamental backgammon strategy is called the blitz. Pretty much like Nazi fighter planes attacking like crazy, you'll find your opponent hitting your checkers. The idea behind this backgammon strategy is to keep your opponent stuck at the bar.
Since this backgammon strategy takes some risk, players would often have a back up plan just in case a run of the blitz fails.
The next fundamental backgammon strategy is called the holding game. A holding game is a strategy that resembles the race. The only difference is that both players hold points on the opponent's outfield (thus the name of the strategy).
A variation of this fundamental strategy is holding a high/low/deuce-point/ace-point anchor. This simply means that instead of holding a point on the backgammon outfield you control an anchor on your opponent's home board (comparable to a back game but not exactly the same).
Another fundamental backgammon strategy is the back game. A back game is where you have one or a couple of anchors on your opponent's home board. Most likely, that would be the only contact between your checkers and your opponent's. Your strategy with the back game is to hit late in the game and pin that checker down and advance your men.
An interesting fundamental strategy in backgammon is called the priming game. This is where one or both players have made a row of anchors/points and have contained an enemy checker behind that array. The row of anchors is called a prime, and the longer the prime the more effective it becomes.
These are the fundamental backgammon strategies that beginners ought to learn. Understanding how to play each backgammon strategy spells success or disaster as you clash wits with your opponent.