Playing the Holding Game in Backgammon

One very common strategy you'll be using in backgammon is the holding game. Many situations will usually lead you into using the holding game. This means it will be wise to become familiar with this fundamental strategy. We will discover what the holding game is and how to make it work in backgammon.

It is called the holding game because of the fact that you hold off some of your opponent's checkers on the outfield. Usually you have one or two defensive anchors or even points made on the outfield. Take note that your anchors shouldn't be cornered by a four-point prime or longer. One last bit is that these anchors are the only contact you have with the enemy. Once you have this type of situation going on you can be sure you are playing a holding game.

Remember that if your opponent has your anchors pinned down by a prime longer than three points then you should apply principles relating to a backgammon priming game and not a holding game. This would help you distinguish which game is which in backgammon. You don't want to be playing a holding game when in fact your facing a priming game.

The next question we'll address is which checkers should you move. It will be a tough decision since your only contact with the enemy, and perhaps your last chance for taking control of the game, are the anchors you have in place. Should your hand be forced to move the checkers that comprise your anchors then you'll be off to a race in which you'll have a hard time catching up.

You should only move the checkers that form your anchors only when you are hitting enemy blots or you have made double rolls. Since it is critical that you move these backgammon checkers on the outfield in the correct moment you should only move them in the said circumstances. If you move them in the wrong time you risk getting hit and place yourself in a tight spot in backgammon.

Now if you can't move backgammon checkers on your anchors then the only recourse left for you is to build your home board. The big precaution here is that you shouldn't leave blots in your home board in this stage of backgammon. Having blots on your home board might duplicate your moves and bring certain risks at your expense. A strong home board is a compliment to a good holding game.

These are the ideas behind holding games in backgammon. This is how you can make your holding games work for you.