What Is a Back Game?

The back game is backgammon’s most dramatic strategic concept. When you’re far behind in the race — typically after being hit multiple times — you can set up multiple anchors in your opponent’s home board and wait for the opportunity to hit their checker as they try to bear off.

A successful back game:

  1. Maintains two or more anchors in the opponent’s home board
  2. Waits for the opponent to leave a blot during bearing off
  3. Hits the blot
  4. Traps it behind a strong home board
  5. Catches up and wins the race

When Do Back Games Happen?

Back games are not usually chosen deliberately. They develop when:

  • You’ve been hit multiple times early in the game
  • You’re far behind in the race (50+ pips)
  • You’ve ended up with multiple checkers in the opponent’s home board
  • Your opponent has a strong racing position but hasn’t closed their board

The key recognition: if you have two made points in the opponent’s board and you’re far behind in the race, you’re in a back game position.

The Best Anchor Combinations

Not all anchor pairs are equal. The best back game setups from strongest to weakest:

  1. 1-3 anchors — gives you the most coverage for hitting
  2. 1-2 anchors — very strong coverage
  3. 2-4 anchors — good coverage and some escape options
  4. 2-3 anchors — adjacent anchors, harder to hit from but solid
  5. 1-4 anchors — wide coverage but gaps in between

Key principle: Anchors that are spread apart cover more possible landing squares, making it harder for the opponent to safely navigate past them.

The Critical Factor: Timing

Timing is the most important concept in a back game. It means having enough flexibility in the rest of your position to maintain your anchors until the opponent leaves a blot.

Good Timing

  • Multiple checkers in the outer board (12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 points)
  • Checkers spread across your home board
  • Plenty of constructive moves available before you’re forced to break your anchors

Bad Timing

  • Too many checkers already stacked in your home board
  • Few options for useful non-anchor moves
  • You’ll be forced to break an anchor on the next few rolls

Maintaining Timing

  • Move outer board checkers slowly — don’t race them home
  • Stack on point 6 if needed — better to stack than break an anchor
  • Use small rolls to fill gaps in your home board
  • Avoid bearing in too quickly — you want to wait for the hit

Executing the Hit

The moment you’ve been waiting for: your opponent leaves a blot while bearing off. Now:

  1. Hit it — send the checker to the bar
  2. Close your home board — make as many points as possible to prevent re-entry
  3. Bear in your remaining checkers — get your outer board checkers home
  4. Start bearing off — with the opponent trapped on the bar, you race to victory

A closed board (all 6 home board points made) means the opponent cannot re-enter at all. They must wait on the bar until you break a point. This can give you time to catch up and pass them.

Back Game Risks

The back game is not without risk:

  • Gammon danger — if the back game fails, you’ll likely lose a gammon (worth 2× or more with the cube)
  • Timing collapse — without proper timing, you’re forced to break anchors without ever getting a shot
  • Cube implications — if you’re playing a back game with the cube at a high level, a gammon loss is very expensive

Making the Cube Decision

As the back game player:

  • You typically don’t own the cube (your opponent doubled earlier)
  • Focus on maximizing your hitting chances

Against a back game:

  • Be cautious about doubling — the position is volatile
  • A back game player can sometimes turn the entire game around
  • Consider whether you can safely bear off without leaving a blot