Early Game – U.S. Backgammon Federation

Follow the Basics

You cannot play successful backgammon without continually taking balanced risks.

There are times in backgammon when you have to play safely, and this is one of them.

This is a common opening problem. Should Red hit, if so where, or should he take the asset of the 5-pt?

When in doubt, hit is a well-known backgammon maxim.

A fairly common type of problem. Do you blitz or not?

This is a demonstration that playing safe in the opening is rarely correct.

Is the fact that Red has his 5-pt made enough to change his play from the standard 24/18, 13/11?

We can quickly reject 8/2, 6/2 which creates an ugly structure and one that is difficult to put back together again.

Put your checkers where they want to go.

It is ever so easy to play bar/24, 13/11 here without thinking. Sadly, that move is a blunder.