| ammon is a race game. You have two options: try to | | | | 2-5) or are both advanced (3-4, 3-5, 4-5) either can be |
| win the race by advancing forward; or, give up on the | | | | called a backgame. However, in practice, such |
| race, make a prime, wait for a shot and hit it. If you | | | | structures usually don't turn out to favor the same |
| choose (or are forced to choose) to hang back and | | | | strategy as the deep anchor backgames. If the |
| wait - you're playing a backgame, according to some | | | | anchors are both advanced, one anchor is often lost |
| earlier backgammon strategies. Contemporary theory | | | | and the game proceeds as a single anchor holding |
| has a more specific treatment of defensive strategies; | | | | game. If the anchors are widely separated, one anchor |
| and, the term "backgame" is used in a more limited | | | | can be lost and the game proceeds either as a holding |
| sense. | | | | game or a deep anchor game. |
| Defensive structures often include one or more | | | | Is there a quasi-backgame? This may be the 1-5 game |
| anchors. A single anchor on an advanced point (5, 4 or | | | | and there's usually no reasonable possibility of holding |
| 3) is a holding game. A single anchor on a deep point (1, | | | | both points until your opponent leaves a shot. Even if |
| 2 or 3) is a deep anchor game. Advanced or deep | | | | that is possible, the strategy isn't nearly as threatening |
| anchor games have corresponding winning strategies; | | | | to your opponent as a deep anchor backgame. |
| the 3 point, indicated twice, illustrates the difference. | | | | Consequently, you’ re often faced with deciding |
| Early in the game it acts as an advanced anchor, | | | | between holding the 5 point, giving up the ace point and |
| covering the outer field and affording winning | | | | losing the race; or, giving up the 5 point, allowing the |
| expectations by either hitting an outer field shot or | | | | ace point to be primed and getting gammoned. |
| simply winning the race. Later in the game, often behind | | | | If the defensive structure includes 3 or more anchors, |
| a prime, it is similar to the deeper points, with winning | | | | it's clearly a backgame. Typically, such structures |
| strategies reduced to hitting a late shot in the bear-in or | | | | afford excellent, winning chances. Nevertheless, if your |
| bear-off or rolling several large doubles. | | | | shot comes before you're ready, the result is often a |
| The defining characteristic of a backgame is that the | | | | gammon or backgammon loss. |
| defensive structure includes two or more anchors. The | | | | Can a backgame be too “big”? Can |
| backgame's corresponding game plan is to hold both | | | | you have too many points back? Of course. Players |
| points as long as necessary, force your opponent to | | | | have been cautioned not to let a backgame opponent |
| bear in or off awkwardly, hit a late shot and contain | | | | get too many pieces back. However, it's ineffective to |
| the blot behind a prime. Typically, the backgame | | | | focus on how many pieces back is good or bad. |
| anchors are deep and close together (1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4). | | | | Instead, look at the entire board. Whether more or |
| Keeping them back delays the moment when the | | | | fewer pieces back is bad or good depends on where |
| winning shot comes and allows time to prepare a | | | | they are, both players' forward structures, and the |
| prime to contain the piece(s) you hit. If the defensive | | | | crucial timing of preparing a prime to be ready when |
| structure's two anchors are widely separated (1-4, 1-5, | | | | the awaited shot finally comes. |