Strategies

Back Game
A player who is far behind in the game and owns two or more anchors in his opponent's home board may force his opponent to bear off awkwardly with the intention of hitting a blot. A checker hit this late in the game can be difficult to enter back onto the board, giving the player time to advance his checkers to his home board in order to bear off. Not an easy move to pull off!

Blitz
An aggressive, all-out attack on your opponent's blots in your Home board aimed atclosing out your opponent. See below for explanation of Close Out.

Block

Taking control a point with the intention of slowing down your opponent's progress in the game. A series of blocks is also known as a Blockade.

Clear From The Rear
Strategically placed checkers designed to maximize the chances of hitting your opponent's checkers.

Catchers
A good strategy to use during the end stage of the game when bearing off, where you clear your highest point first to avoid creating a gap. A standard strategy for many players.

Cover A Blot
A simple but worthwhile move, whereby you add a second checker to a blot, closing the point and making it less vulnerable to attack.

Hit And Cover
A play in which you hit your opponent's blot, and in the same move advance your checker to cover a blot of your own. He'll have one on the bar and you'll own another point. Two birds, one stone!

Tempt
To deliberately place a blot in a position where it can be hit by your opponent, in the hope that he will give up a strategic point in the process of hitting. Greedy players beware!

Kamikaze Play
A risky Back Game strategy. Breaking up points and creating blots in your home board with the intention of getting the blots hit, so that they can be re-circulated back onto your opponent's home board. If it works, you build an anchor to slow down your opponent.

Last Roll Position
Any position in which the next roll will decide the outcome of the game. In this position, you should double the stakes if you have a greater than 50% chance of winning the game.

Mutual Holding Game
A game in which both players employ the same strategy of holding anchors on the opponent's side of the board, with the intention of blocking the other's checker advancement back to home board.

Safe Play
A play in which no blots are created, or leaves blots only on points where the opponent is unlikely to hit.

Squeeze
Taking advantage of your opponent's obligation to make a move. By leaving him in a position where the only move he can make hurts his position, he may be forced to break a valuable defensive point, and even leave blots exposed for you to hit.

Close Out
An effective strategy in which you take ownership of all 6 points of your home board and then hit your opponent's blot.
Because all the points on your home board are closed, your opponent will not be able to re-enter his checker until you open a point. You can now play on, roll after roll after roll…………

Hit And Run
To hit your opponent's blot and then advance the same checker to safety all in the same play. Not as satisfying as HIT AND COVER, but a classic move all the same.

Prime
Six consecutive closed points, all owned by the same player. Checkers belonging to the opponent can become trapped behind a prime until it is broken, as no more than 6 points may be traveled in one move.

Speed Board
A bearing off position in which a player may remove at least two of his checkers on every roll, typically when all of your checkers are crowded onto points 1, 2 and 3 of your home board.