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Hit Your Opponent’s Checkers

The second basic task of checker play is, “Can I hit one of my opponent’s checkers?”

Here are some reasons why hitting your opponent’s checker(s) can be beneficial.

Since backgammon is, like Parcheesi or Sorry!, fundamentally a racing game, you gain ground in the race by sending your opponent’s checkers back to the bar. That, for a checker, is like a player being sent to the penalty box in hockey: he cannot come back to play in the game until the penalty is over.

Position 6 – Black on roll to play 31

The substance of that penalty is that your opponent cannot play until he rolls a number that corresponds with a point in your home board not occupied by two or more of your checkers.

The ultimate penalty occurs when you have a closed board and you hit one of your opponent’s checkers. In that case, he can’t enter until you elect to, or are forced to, break your home board.

Position 7 – Black on roll to play 62

Usually you will not have a closed board, but the more points you have in your board, the more difficult it will be for your opponent to bring checkers in from the bar and back into the battle.

A second reason for hitting your opponent’s checkers is that they cannot then be used to make points, primes, and closed boards to block you!

Position 8 – Black on roll to play 62

A third reason for hitting is to take half of the opponent’s roll away. Once you hit their checkers, they will be unable to make new points in their home board unless they happen to come in from the bar with a double.