The Backgammon Holding Game: Waiting for the Right Shot with an Anchor

Published on July 8, 2026

The holding game is one of the four classic styles of play in backgammon, alongside the running game, priming, and the backgame. Unlike a pure race, this is about deliberately positioning one or more of your own checkers in the opponent’s home board, instead of bringing them home as fast as possible.

What does holding game mean?

In a holding game, you place at least two of your own checkers together on a point in the opponent’s home board — a so-called anchor. Because the point is occupied by two checkers, the opponent can’t hit it. From this safe anchor, you wait for the right roll to hit an opposing blot as soon as the opportunity arises.

Which points make the best anchors?

The most valuable anchor points are the 4-, 5-, and 6-points in the opponent’s home board (counted from your own perspective). These points sit deep enough to hold up over a longer stretch of the game, while still offering enough reach to hit opposing blots in your own home board. An anchor on the 1- or 2-point is also safe, but tactically far less valuable, since its reach for hitting shots is much more limited.

When is a holding game worth it?

A holding game often arises more by circumstance than by plan: you’re already slightly behind, but still get the chance to secure an anchor in the opponent’s home board before they close it out completely. From there, you can wait out the rest of the game and hope the opponent leaves a blot while bringing in their remaining checkers.

Risks of the holding game

An anchor in the opponent’s home board costs tempo: the checkers parked there don’t contribute to your own race and later still have to cover the entire way back to your own home board. If the hoped-for hit doesn’t come in time, you fall behind on two fronts at once — both in pip count and under time pressure. A holding game should therefore be abandoned as soon as the anchor no longer offers a realistic chance of a hit and is only costing time instead.

Holding game vs. backgame

The holding game and the backgame look similar at first glance — both rely on anchors in the opponent’s home board and wait for shots. The difference lies in intent and scope: a backgame is played deliberately with two or more anchors as its own standalone, risky overall strategy, usually when you’re already clearly behind. A holding game, on the other hand, often develops out of the game in progress, with just one anchor, without having set out to use this tactic from the start.

A common holding-game mistake

A common mistake is holding onto an anchor too long even though the rest of the game is already hopeless — the checkers then just tie up time unnecessarily, with no realistic prospect of a turnaround. Just as risky is giving up the anchor too early, shortly before a good hitting chance would have come up.

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.