Back Game Doubling Strategy
A back game is a very interesting strategy in backgammon. Executing a successful back game involves planning. During a course of a game you may have to make the back game an option to fall back on when your opponent takes the lead. Doing a back game for some players would mean that you are really way behind in a backgammon game. Other players have made a back game a central strategy in backgammon.
There are times when a back game will come to doubling the game more than twice over. This is also one reason why the back game is so interesting. Let's take a look at how the doubling action goes in a back game. We'll also check out what decisions we ought to make depending on the different positions we have made during the course of a back game.
One of the things any player ought to keep an eye on when it comes to a back game is timing. Both the leading player and the trailing player (i.e. the backgammon player who is executing a back game) should consider timing before offering, passing, or taking a double. Most of the time, it is a good idea to offer a double when the trailing player is off on timing (i.e. there are only a few pips left before compromising the anchors or the prime on the home board).
Do not offer to double prematurely or too late in a back game. An example would be doubling when the trailing player has broken anchors. The trailing player at this time will pass or refuse the offer to double. You should consider the trailing player's timing, if he has a little over 20 pips left that might mean your opponent is on the edge of being able to take on doubling.
The player who is executing a back game will have to consider other things as well. That player should consider the chance to hit a backgammon checker, containing the opponent's checker that was hit, how many checkers has the opponent born off, and the position of the anchors on the opponent's home board.
Checking the position of the anchors also helps with the decision with regard to doubling. If the trailing player has the anchors positioned on the two-, three-, four-, and five-points on your home board it isn't a good idea to immediately offer to double. You should also check timing, checker distribution, gaps in the primes, and how many checkers have been born off.
These are the things you might want to consider when doubling in a back game. Check the timing, checkers born off, condition of the primes, and checker distribution before you double in a back game.