Holding Game Basic Strategy

The holding game is one of the most common positions in backgammon. One or both players keep a point in the opponent's half of the board, an anchor or an outfield point such as the midpoint, while the rest of their checkers are on their own side. There are many kinds of holding games, but in its simplest form the plan is just this: wait for a shot to hit, or wait for a big double to run.

The finer points are covered in holding game advanced strategy. This article covers the basics:

Recognizing a holding game

You have a holding game when you (or your opponent):

The last condition is important. If your anchor sits behind a four-point prime or longer, the game is no longer a holding game but a priming game, and your plans change completely. Most typical holding positions involve an advanced anchor, on the opponent's 4-point, 5-point or bar point, or a held midpoint.

A common example: White still holds his midpoint, which blocks the most natural escape route for Black's back checkers, and he has built a strong board. Black has an anchor on White's 5-point and only a few checkers left to bring around. Each side has to be careful: White must bring his midpoint checkers home past Black's anchor, while Black must avoid leaving shots as he clears his own outfield.

Another typical case: one player leads the race comfortably and has a strong block, but he still has two checkers on the midpoint to bring home. His opponent, behind in the race, is building his home board and waiting. If the leader waits too long, he may have to break his position under pressure; if he moves too soon, he leaves a shot.

Which checkers to move

In a holding game you want to move your outfield point or anchor only at the right moment: when you can hit a shot, preferably without leaving blots in your own board, or when you roll a double that lets you clear the point safely. Your basic tools are:

Doubles

Leaving a shot in a holding game can be costly, especially against a strong home board. So when you roll a double that clears the point you are holding, use it for that. Both checkers move together and no blot is left behind. Large doubles are best, since they bring the pair farther and closer to safety.

General rule: with a double, clear your holding point first if you can do it safely.

Hitting

Depending on the position, your priority may be hitting or building your board. Hitting can be the best way to clear a point, especially if your home board is strong enough to contain the hit checker.

If you are clearly behind in the race, hitting is usually your top priority: you want to pick up a checker and keep it on the bar while you either hit a second one or bring your checkers home and close more points. If the race is close and your board is still weak, it is often better to build first and look for the hit a little later.

Home board building

A strong home board greatly improves your chances in a holding game. You are more likely to win by hitting a shot than by rolling big doubles, and a hit is worth much more when your board can contain the checker. So use your spare moves to build home points, ideally in order from your 6-point downward, so that you are ready when the shot comes.

Next step

Holding games come in several typical forms: midpoint against an anchor, midpoint against a bar-point anchor, low anchors and high anchors. Each needs its own approach, especially when the cube comes into play. Continue with holding game advanced strategy, and see pip count basics for judging the race.