BACKGAMMON QUICK TIPS AND HINTS FOR ONLINE PLAY
Some things you might, or might know when playing online backgammon:
When bearing off, you don't have to roll exact numbers if you have checkers on your first and second points and you roll 4-3, you can move two pieces from your second point.
If you don't have a checker at the point shown on your dice, you must move one of your other pieces on a higher-numbered point so that it's closer to bearing off. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, you re allowed to bear off from a lower-numbered point.
Take this example: The Black player has rolled a 5-3 and wants to bear off a piece, if possible. Initially, they cannot use the 5 to bear off piece on the 4th point because they must first move the piece on the 6th point closer to the tray. In this case the 3 to do this, and then the 5 to bear off the piece on the 4th point.
If you have other legal moves available, you are not required to bear off, but it is to your advantage to bear off whenever possible.
If during bearing off, one of your checkers is hit and placed on the bar, you must get that checker back into your inner board before you can continue bearing off.
If you bear off all 15 of your checkers before your opponent, you win the game.
Some hints about the doubling cube:
The doubling cube is used to determine the stakes of the game. Although the cube initially reads as '64,' its actual value at the beginning of the game is 1 point.
On your turn and before you roll the dice, you can click on the doubling cube this challenges the opposition to double the stakes of the game. The computer then passes the cube to the other player, who must now make a decision:
Accept the double and continue the game at a twice the stakes (2 points), or
Refuse the double and concede the game for its current value (1 point).
If your opponent accepts the double, he or she now has control over the cube and the stakes of the game are doubled to a value of 2 points.
This now becomes a game of cat and mouse, as the doubling cube is passed from one player to the next with each given the option to 'redouble' at any time before they roll the dice. This redoubling can continue back and forth up to the maximum value of 64. Any player who refuses either a double or a redouble concedes the game to the other player for the last doubling value that was accepted. So it is really important to consider your next move with every double or redouble.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne off any of theirs, not only do you win the game: but you have 'gammoned' your opponent. Which means your game is worth twice the value of the doubling cube.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne off any of theirs, and while they have at least one checker left in your home board or on the bar, you have 'backgammoned' your opponent. A backgammon is worth three times the value of the doubling cube. On a 64 maximum value that can be very expensive for the loser.
But hey that's all part of the excitement isn't it?
THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED COURTESY OF ONLINE BACKGAMMON ROOM PLAY65
Back to Online Backgammon Strategy
Some things you might, or might know when playing online backgammon:
When bearing off, you don't have to roll exact numbers if you have checkers on your first and second points and you roll 4-3, you can move two pieces from your second point.
If you don't have a checker at the point shown on your dice, you must move one of your other pieces on a higher-numbered point so that it's closer to bearing off. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, you re allowed to bear off from a lower-numbered point.
Take this example: The Black player has rolled a 5-3 and wants to bear off a piece, if possible. Initially, they cannot use the 5 to bear off piece on the 4th point because they must first move the piece on the 6th point closer to the tray. In this case the 3 to do this, and then the 5 to bear off the piece on the 4th point.
If you have other legal moves available, you are not required to bear off, but it is to your advantage to bear off whenever possible.
If during bearing off, one of your checkers is hit and placed on the bar, you must get that checker back into your inner board before you can continue bearing off.
If you bear off all 15 of your checkers before your opponent, you win the game.
Some hints about the doubling cube:
The doubling cube is used to determine the stakes of the game. Although the cube initially reads as '64,' its actual value at the beginning of the game is 1 point.
On your turn and before you roll the dice, you can click on the doubling cube this challenges the opposition to double the stakes of the game. The computer then passes the cube to the other player, who must now make a decision:
Accept the double and continue the game at a twice the stakes (2 points), or
Refuse the double and concede the game for its current value (1 point).
If your opponent accepts the double, he or she now has control over the cube and the stakes of the game are doubled to a value of 2 points.
This now becomes a game of cat and mouse, as the doubling cube is passed from one player to the next with each given the option to 'redouble' at any time before they roll the dice. This redoubling can continue back and forth up to the maximum value of 64. Any player who refuses either a double or a redouble concedes the game to the other player for the last doubling value that was accepted. So it is really important to consider your next move with every double or redouble.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne off any of theirs, not only do you win the game: but you have 'gammoned' your opponent. Which means your game is worth twice the value of the doubling cube.
If you bear off all of your checkers before the other player has borne off any of theirs, and while they have at least one checker left in your home board or on the bar, you have 'backgammoned' your opponent. A backgammon is worth three times the value of the doubling cube. On a 64 maximum value that can be very expensive for the loser.
But hey that's all part of the excitement isn't it?
THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED COURTESY OF ONLINE BACKGAMMON ROOM PLAY65
Back to Online Backgammon Strategy
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