Backgammon Tournament Strategy

Backgammon is one of the world's most popular board games, and it also fits well into a tournament format. There are numerous backgammon tournaments, both offline and online. These tournaments are better than individual matches when it comes to improving the skills and strategies of backgammon players.

Tournament backgammon is wholly different from the recreational games. The matches in backgammon tournaments are full of pressure and experienced players. You will discover that the strategies you use in backgammon tournaments are more advanced and complicated than those in regular play.

If you lose a game in a backgammon tournament, reduce your losses to 1 or 2 points through the use of a doubling strategy. Avoid a gammon because a gammon can help your opponent win the set; beware of moves that can cause you to lose a gammon.

Use the doubling strategy near the end of the set, if possible. Don't double if you are just one point away from winning the set. Double if you need two points to win the set, and your opponent is just one point away from winning. Your opponent will most likely accept your double. This technique will increase your chances of winning to 50%, instead of the 25% if you don't double.

If you are leading in the set, you don't have to double, or accept a double, because you want a bigger chance of winning. If you are lagging behind in the set, you should immediately double or accept a double. Be prepared to take risks if you are behind in the set even if your chances of winning are small.

Avoid making moves that can send your opponent to Crawford Rule game. If you are one point behind your opponent, with your opponent needing just one point to win the set, you have to win two games in a row, because of the Crawford Rule.

For example, if you are playing seven-point set and your opponent is trailing you by two points, you might double since you have a 65% chance to win. However, because of the Crawford Rule, you should wait for your chances to reach 70% before doubling, since a loss will send your opponent to a Crawford Rule game.

If your opponent is about to win a game and take the set, and they are not in possession of the Doubling Cube, do everything you can to win the game even to the point of risking a gammon or backgammon. You may lose the set anyway, so you might as well try to salvage the game and lose many points.

Playing in backgammon tournaments is an exhilarating and challenging experience for many backgammon players. Be sure to learn all you can about backgammon strategies and techniques, analyze your opponents' playing styles, and be patient and persistent in your play. Lastly, be magnanimous in victory and humble in defeat - it's the only way you get invited to more backgammon tournaments in the future.

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