The Backgammon Backgame: The Defensive Late-Game Strategy

Published on June 17, 2026 · Updated on July 6, 2026

The backgame is a defensive strategy for situations where you’re already significantly behind in a pure race. Instead of trying to bring your own checkers home as fast as possible, you deliberately hold two or more anchors deep in your opponent’s home board — usually on their 1- and 2-point, or 2- and 3-point.

How does a backgame work?

You’re deliberately waiting for a later mistake by your opponent: once they leave a gap while bearing off their own checkers, you can hit with one of your anchors and send their checker back to the bar. Since the opponent usually has many checkers gathered in their home board by then, a single successful hit can turn the whole game around.

Timing is everything

A backgame only works if the timing is right: if you hit too early, before the opponent has started bearing off, you often won’t have a good roll left to capitalize on your advantage before your own remaining checkers get forced out of position. Players already running a priming strategy sometimes deliberately switch to a backgame once they realize the pure race is no longer winnable.

The risk

A failed backgame often doesn’t just end in a simple loss, but in a gammon or even backgammon for the opponent, since your own checkers are stuck so far back. That’s why the backgame is considered one of the riskiest — but also most spectacular — comeback strategies in the game. We introduce more fundamental styles of play in our backgammon strategy overview.

About the Author

Ulf Mayer

I love backgammon in all its forms – whether it's a quick match on my smartphone to pass the time, or a glass of wine alongside a beautiful wooden board with family and friends. As the founder of backgammon-meister.de, I share my passion, tactics, and tips to help both beginners and ambitious players dominate their next match. Dice cup ready? Let's master the game!

backgammon-meister.de has been online since 2008.