Boardgammon Blog https://boardgammon.com/blog/ History, science and straight answers about backgammon, checkers and chess. en Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:10:11 GMT How to count pips in backgammon: mental shortcuts, cluster counting, and turning the tally into winning decisionshttps://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/how-to-count-pips-in-backgammon/https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/how-to-count-pips-in-backgammon/Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:10:11 GMTLearn how to count pips in backgammon in seconds using cluster counting, symmetry cancellation, and the 8–9–12 race rule for doubling decisions.Backgammon The history of checkers: how a medieval board game conquered the world and met the machinehttps://boardgammon.com/blog/checkers/history-of-checkers/https://boardgammon.com/blog/checkers/history-of-checkers/Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:48:42 GMTDiscover how checkers evolved from ancient alquerque into chess-board draughts, branched into global variants, and was mathematically solved in 2007.Checkers The 15 Opening Rolls in Backgammon: How to Play Each One, and Whyhttps://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/backgammon-opening-rolls/https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/backgammon-opening-rolls/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 20:12:01 GMTLearn the best rollout-verified moves for all 15 backgammon opening rolls, why 3-1 is the best start, and how neural net engines changed opening theory.Backgammon Back-Rank Mate: The Trap Everyone Falls Into Oncehttps://boardgammon.com/blog/chess/back-rank-mate-in-chess/https://boardgammon.com/blog/chess/back-rank-mate-in-chess/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:27:44 GMTLearn what a back-rank mate is in chess, how an escape square prevents it, and the defensive habits that keep your king safe from sudden tactical attacks.Chess Bearing Off Without Losing: The Positions That Cost Gameshttps://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/bearing-off-without-losing/https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/bearing-off-without-losing/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:27:44 GMTLearn how bearing off works in backgammon, how to clear checkers against an anchor, and the rules that keep you safe from late blunders.Backgammon What PR Means in Backgammon, and Five Habits That Bring Yours Downhttps://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/what-pr-means-in-backgammon/https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/what-pr-means-in-backgammon/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:34:41 GMTLearn what Performance Rating (PR) measures in backgammon, how the formula works, and five checker and cube habits that will bring your rating down.Backgammon Are online backgammon dice rigged?https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/are-online-backgammon-dice-rigged/https://boardgammon.com/blog/backgammon/are-online-backgammon-dice-rigged/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:11:18 GMTFair dice come in streaks, so they feel rigged. See what 438,679 rolls on our server looked like, and how to check a roll in an online game you play.Backgammon