What is a back game in backgammon?

A back game is a strategy you use when you are far behind in the race. You hold two or more anchors deep in your opponent's home board and wait for them to leave a blot as they bring their checkers home. If you hit that blot late, while you have a strong home board ready, you can trap the checker and turn a losing game into a win.

What are the best points for a back game?

The strongest back-game anchors are usually the 1-and-3 points or the 2-and-3 points in your opponent's home board. Two well-spaced low anchors give you the most chances to hit a blot as the opponent clears, while still leaving you room to build a home board of your own. Holding the 1-and-2 points is generally considered the weakest back game.

How do you play against a back game?

Against a back game, avoid leaving shots and clear your points cleanly from the back. Do not over-build your position and waste pips, because the back-game player wins on timing. Bring your checkers home in good order, keep a flexible position so you can always play safe, and be ready to give up a little equity to avoid leaving a single dangerous blot.

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The backgammon back game

The back game is backgammon's great comeback weapon. When you have fallen too far behind to win the race, you do not give up: you dig in deep in your opponent's home board, hold on, and wait for the one mistake that lets you hit late and trap a checker. Played well it can steal a lost game. Played badly it falls apart on timing. Here is how a back game works, the best anchors to hold, and how to beat one when it is aimed at you.

What a back game is

A back game is a deliberate strategy for when you are well behind in the race. Instead of running, you keep two or more anchors deep in your opponent's home board. As they eventually bring their last checkers around and try to bear off, they will be forced to leave a blot. If you hit that blot late, at a moment when you have built a strong home board of your own, the checker you sent back may be unable to escape, and the game swings your way.

Timing is everything

The hardest part of a back game is timing. You need your home board to be strong at the exact moment you get your shot, not crumbling because you ran out of safe moves and had to tear it down. If you hit too early, the opponent re-enters easily; if your position collapses before the shot comes, the hit means nothing. A good back game keeps spare checkers and flexibility so your board is ready precisely when the blot appears. This is why back games reward patience and punish over-extending.

The best anchors to hold

Not all back games are equal. The general ranking of two-anchor back games:

The 1-and-3 or 2-and-3 points are the strongest. Two well-spaced low anchors give you the most ways to hit a blot as the opponent clears, while still leaving room to build your own board.
The 1-and-2 points make the weakest back game. They are so deep and close together that even a successful hit often does not trap the checker, and you have little board left to contain it.

Good anchors also tie into general defense: an advanced anchor like the 20-point is more of a holding game than a true back game, but the principle of staying anchored when behind is the same.

How to play against a back game

When your opponent is in a back game, the game is yours to lose, so play to avoid the one thing they need: a shot. Against a back game:

Clear from the back. Bring your rear points home first and in good order, so you are not forced to leave a blot later.
Do not waste pips. Over-building and stacking checkers can cost you the timing battle and force an awkward roll. Keep your position smooth and flexible.
Pay to stay safe. It is often worth giving up a little efficiency to avoid leaving a single dangerous blot. One hit at the wrong moment can flip the result.

Learn the back game by playing it

Back games are subtle, and the timing only really clicks when you play them and see the result. On Backgammon Battles you can practice ambitious back games against the bot with no rating on the line, then have the game analyzed move by move to see exactly where your timing held or broke. Try one, review it, and the feel for these positions comes quickly. For the wider context, see our strategy guide.

Practice the comeback that wins games.

Play ranked or practice matches with fair dice and move-by-move analysis that shows where your timing held or broke. Free to play.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a back game?

A comeback strategy for when you are far behind: hold two or more anchors deep in your opponent's home board and play to hit a late blot while your own board is strong.

What are the best back-game points?

Usually the 1-and-3 or 2-and-3 points. They give the most hitting chances while leaving room to build a board. The 1-and-2 points make the weakest back game.

How do you beat a back game?

Avoid leaving shots: clear from the back cleanly, do not waste pips or over-build, and pay a little efficiency to stay safe. The back-game player wins on timing, so deny them the shot.

Read the full strategy guide →

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