ROSA GAMES / Game guides
Backgammon: planning after the dice roll
The dice determine your available movement, but the choice of checkers and move order remains yours. Treat a roll as several connected decisions.
Consider both dice first
Before moving, identify legal options for each die. The order can affect whether your second move is possible. Do not select the first convenient checker without considering what that choice does to the rest of the roll.
Balance progress against exposure
Moving quickly is not always best. An isolated checker may be vulnerable, while occupied points restrict your opponent. Look at where you can join checkers on a later turn and which positions you leave exposed now.
Keep future options open
Several accessible points provide flexibility for later rolls. During bearing off, check the permitted actions carefully. Different backgammon variants use different rules, so avoid importing assumptions from another version: follow the rules presented in the ROSA game.