Bearing Off

Bearing off is the last stage in the backgammon game. As soon as you've done moving all your 15 checkers back to your home board, you can start bearing off. Since the first player who bears off all of his checkers is the winner of the backgammon game, the significance of this stage needs not be undermined. 

To bear off, you move the checker placed on a point that matches with the number shown on the dice and. For example, if you roll 6, you'll bear off the checker placed on the 6-point. If there isn't any checker on the 6-point, you'll bear off a checker placed on a higher-numbered point or the highest numbered point on the board. Note that if any of your checkers is being hit during bearoff, you won't be able to continue with the bearing off until you'll re-enter it. 

As in other stages in the backgammon game, bearing off should be planned beforehand. Additionally, cube decisions should also be made correctly. Let's take a look on how to prepare yourself for a successful bearing off. 

Bearing Off Early Planning 

If you your opponent don't have any strong representatives at your home board, your goal would to bear off your checkers as fast as you can. Assuming you have already created a few points in your home board, all you are left to decide is where to place your checkers while bearing in. 

To minimize wastage, you should place your checkers on 4, 5 and 6 points and avoid placing them on the ace point. Otherwise, every time you'll roll 5's or 6's you will be wasting your pips. 

Cube Decisions when Bearing Off 

Backgammon players tend to double few times during bear off: when only two checkers remain on the 2 and 3-points; when they have two checkers left on your home board while the opponent has three to bear off; when having three checkers to bear off with less than 15 pips. 

In all the positions mentioned above, it will always be correct to double. In all those circumstances, you are most likely to bear off on your next roll. There is still one exception: if you have two checkers left on the home board and one of them sits on the 6-point, you should decline doubling.