Cocked Dice

One of the greatest marks of a good backgammon player is his ability to create a closed board. This is an excellent means of limiting the play of your opponent and gaining that much needed edge over your opponent.

In order to understand what a closed board is it first necessary to realize a few basics of backgammon such as what “points” are and how to create a “prime.”

One of the strategies followed by backgammon players is trying to make points on the table. A “point” is a space on the backgammon board that is exclusive property of the player who has managed to position two or more of his men on it and thus staked his claim. The opposing player then cannot come to rest on this space or even make a touch down on it if he is moving one man for the total of his throw.

When a player’s backgammon man or counter takes a hit from the other player’s backgammon man, the piece has to be removed and placed on the bar which separates the game board into two halves. The disadvantage of taking a hit is that not only do players lose their men and have to start all over again but re-entry into the game has to be made through the opponent’s home board. The re-entry has to be made on an equivalent of at least one of the numbers that the player has thrown.

The player who has taken the hit cannot play until he has re-entered the piece on the bar. This is where having a point comes as an advantage as the player cannot re-enter on a point owned by the opponent and has to wait further.

Players try to secure six consecutive points also known as a prime as these give them a complete monopoly of the game. Backgammon men get trapped behind them and if the opposing player perchance happens to have a piece on the bar he has to wait until a point has been cleared in order to make a move.

Any player who makes all six points on his board has closed his board. The securing of six point places blocks the opposing player from re-entering as there is no space available. This player would then be forced to forfeit turn after turn until a point re-opens and allows him to resume play.

Matthew Morris