Back game

How it works in play

A back game is the plan for being far behind in the race: hold two anchors deep in the opponent’s home board and wait for the shot they will have to leave as they bring their checkers in. It needs good timing and a home board strong enough to contain the checker you hit; without them it tends to lose a gammon. The best anchor pairs are usually counted as 2-3, 1-3 or 2-4, in the opponent’s numbering.

Related terms

• Anchor — A point made (2+ checkers) in the opponent’s home board. Defensive.
• Timing — In holding and back games: how long you can wait before being forced to break a key point.
• Holding game — Strategy of holding an anchor in the opponent’s territory (typically the 20-point) and waiting for a shot.
• Gammon — Winning before the opponent bears off any checker. Worth 2× the cube value.
• Closeout — All six home-board points made while the opponent sits on the bar — they cannot enter until a point opens.

Go deeper

• Game plans: the back game
• Game plans: the holding game
• Backgammon strategy, from first roll to bear-off

In other languages

• العربيةاللعب الخلفي (Back game)
• ΕλληνικάΠίσω παιχνίδι (back game)
• فارسیبازی عقب (Back game)
• עבריתמשחק אחורי (Back game)
• РусскийБэкгейм (back game)
• TürkçeGeri oyun (Back game)