Anchors in Backgammon: Where to Keep Your Back Checkers
Your two back checkers start deep in White's home board. Together on a good point they are safe; left too deep for too long, they can be trapped.
Step 1 of 4
Make an anchor
Two of your checkers on a point in White's home board make an anchor. White can't hit them there, and a checker of yours that gets hit always has a point to come back in on.
Your back checkers have split onto your 24- and 23-points, and White's checkers on your 17-, 18- and 19-points are aimed at them. If you leave them alone there, White hits at least one with 34 of the 36 rolls.
Your move
Play 4-3 and leave White nothing to hit.
The better anchor
You now hold your 20-point. You could have kept both back checkers on your 24-point instead, where they started. An anchor on your 20- or 21-point is called an advanced anchor.
Which anchor is better to hold?
Trapped on the 24-point
Left on your 24-point too long, your back checkers can be primed. The points just in front of them, your 18- to 23-points, are the ones White makes as it brings its checkers home.
Here White holds all six, and your two checkers on the 24-point can't move with any number. They wait there until White breaks its wall, while the rest of your checkers have to keep moving.
Run when you lead
An anchor holds on while you wait for a chance. Count the race here: you have 100 pips to go and White has 123, so you lead by 23. With a lead like that you want a straight race, and your back checkers are all that keeps your checkers in contact with White's.
Your move
Play 5-5.
What you learned
- Two of your checkers on a point in White's home board make an anchor. They can't be hit, and a hit checker always has a point to come back in on.
- An advanced anchor, on your 20- or 21-point, is harder to trap than one on your 24-point.
- Back checkers left on your 24-point can be primed by the points White makes coming home.
- Once you lead the race, run your back checkers and race home.
In this course
Unit 1The rules
- The Backgammon Board: Points, Quarters and Direction
- How to Move Checkers in Backgammon With Two Dice
- Rolling Doubles in Backgammon: Four Moves, Not Two
- Hitting a Blot in Backgammon: Blots and the Bar
- How to Enter From the Bar in Backgammon
- How to Bear Off in Backgammon
- Winning at Backgammon: Gammons and Backgammons
Unit 2First strategy
- The Best Opening Moves in Backgammon
- Making Points and Primes in Backgammon
- Anchors in Backgammon: Where to Keep Your Back Checkers
- Safe Play in Backgammon: Blots, Shots and Risk
- How to Count Pips in Backgammon
Take it to the table.
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