Backgammon Problems: Early Game

When you can’t do anything good …

Mar 15, 2026 | Backgammon Generally, Backgammon Problems: Early Game

Cash game. White on roll. White to play 6-2.

Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.

This position shows a position in the early game. White’s game is temporarily a little awkward, and now he throws a 2-6 from the bar.

Sometimes a six from the bar will allow us to do something obvious and good, like hitting a blot or building a point. When we can’t do anything good, we’re usually faced with a choice among several unappetizing alternatives. That’s the case here. We have four legal sixes: 8/2, 13/7, 21/15, and 22/16. None look great, but we have to pick one. Let’s set up some guidelines and see if they can lead us to the least unappealing six.

When something else is better than running …

Feb 15, 2026 | Backgammon Generally, Backgammon Problems: Early Game

Cash game. White on roll. White to play 6-3.

Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.

Often in the opening you’ll escape one of your two back checkers, and then find yourself in a type of position we call “One Man Back”. These positions can be tricky. If you roll a big number, should you make a bid for escaping and run the last checker out, or leave him back and make some sort of building play on your side of the board?

Slotting criteria when you have an anchor …

Jan 15, 2026 | Backgammon Generally, Backgammon Problems: Early Game

Cash game. White on roll. White to play 4-1.

Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.

We sell a lot of books at the Gammon Press and the most popular books right now are a three-volume set called “How to Play the Opening in Backgammon”. The most common question I get asked about the set is “Why a 3-volume set just on the Opening? What about the other parts of the game?”

Problems you want to have …

Aug 15, 2025 | Backgammon Problems: Early Game

Cash game. Center cube. White to play 4-2.

Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.

This is a fairly simple, but extremely important problem. At first glance, White seems to have a lot of reasonable choices.

Here’s a quick list, with a brief description of why each play might be appealing:

Opening Positions With Many Choices

May 15, 2025 | Backgammon Generally, Backgammon Problems: Early Game

White to play 4-2.

This is a fairly simple, but extremely important problem. At first glance, White seems to have a lot of reasonable choices. Here’s a quick list, with a brief description of why each play might be appealing:
(a) 24/18, making the enemy bar-point and duplicating fours, but not making any progress on the front game.
(b) 8/4 6/4, making the 4-point, but leaving two blots and a lot of shots.
(c) 13/9 18/16, making the 9-point and creating some duplication of fours.
(d) 9/5* 18/16, fighting for the 5-point while taking away Black’s good sixes.
(e) 9/5* 13/11, fighting for the 5-point and fearlessly bringing down another builder, but leaving Black with 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, and 1s to hit.

Structure and Risk-Taking – Part 2 – The Solution

Dec 15, 2024 | Backgammon Problems: Early Game

From the November 2024 blog post, here’s a pair of very similar positions that shows how an (apparently) small change in an early-game position can dramatically change your approach.

Cash game. White to play 5-1

Cash game. White to Play 5-1

These two positions show a routine situation in the early middle game. Both sides have an anchor, and the race is very close. White’s position is slightly preferable since he has better chances of establishing a block against Black’s anchor.

White’s roll of 5-1 is a pretty routine shot and he has two obvious choices: 9/3, starting the 3-point, and 13/8 9/8, playing safe while keeping all checkers is front of Black. Of these two plays, 9/3 is slightly better; 13/8 9/8 creates a big stack which will prove awkward in some of the upcoming variations. In the middle game, we try to avoid creating big stacks unless alternatives are really weak. There’s nothing structurally wrong with 9/3, so it’s a better play here.