Hitting in Backgammon: Blots and How to Hit Them
Hitting is what makes backgammon a fight rather than a race. Land on a lone opposing checker — a blot — and it goes to the bar and has to start over. Here are the exact rules and the basic ideas behind good hitting.
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The rules of hitting
- A blot is a single checker on a point.
- If your checker ends a move on an opponent's blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.
- Points with two or more opposing checkers are closed — you can't land there at all.
- Hitting is optional: you never have to hit if you'd rather play something else.
- A hit checker must re-enter in the opponent's home board before its owner moves anything else. How that works: the bar.
A checker only hits where it stops. If one checker plays 4 and then 2, it can hit on the point after the 4 and again on the point after the 2 — but it doesn't hit anything it merely passes over. See moving one checker with both dice.
Why a hit matters so much
A hit checker loses all the distance it had traveled: it starts again from the very beginning, in your home board. A blot hit on the opponent's side of the board costs only a few pips; a blot hit deep in your own home board can cost 20 or more. And until it re-enters, its owner can't move anything else — against a strong home board that may mean losing whole turns.
How likely is a blot to be hit?
It depends on distance. With nothing in the way, a blot 6 points from an opposing checker is hit by 17 of the 36 possible rolls; one 1 point away by 11; one 7 or 8 points away by only 6. Blots within six points of an enemy checker are in "direct" range, farther ones in "indirect" range and much safer. The full table is on luck or skill: the dice odds.
Common hitting ideas
Hit and run
Hit a blot with one die and use the other to move the same checker on to safety. You gain the hit without leaving a target behind.
Point on a blot
Hit with two checkers at once, landing both on the same point. You hit and make a closed point in one go — the strongest kind of hit, especially in your home board.
Double hit
Hitting two blots in one turn. Your opponent then needs to enter two checkers, often losing most of their next roll.
Hitting loose
Hitting in your home board and leaving your own checker there as a blot. Risky, because a return hit sends it all the way back — but often right when the hit gains a lot.
Free hit
A hit that carries no risk, for example because the opponent can't hit back from the bar. Usually worth taking.
When to hit — and when not to
- Hit when it gains a lot of race, when you can make the point at the same time, or when your opponent's board is weak so a return hit wouldn't hurt much.
- Think twice when your opponent has a strong home board and your hitting checker would be left exposed.
- Late in the game, when you're far ahead in the race, avoiding contact matters more than hitting.
More strategy: backgammon strategy.
No hitting in long nardy
If you come from Russia, the Caucasus or Central Asia, your first game may be long nardy, where nothing is ever hit. There a single checker already closes a point, and the game is about blocks and timing. Backgammon — short nardy — is the hitting game. A side-by-side comparison: long nardy vs backgammon.
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FAQ
What is a blot in backgammon?
A single checker alone on a point. It can be hit by the opponent landing on that point. Two or more checkers on a point make it safe — a closed point.
How does hitting work in backgammon?
If your move ends on a point with exactly one opposing checker, you hit it: that checker goes to the bar, and your checker takes the point. The hit checker must re-enter in your home board before its owner can move anything else.
Can you hit two checkers in one turn?
Yes. Each die can hit a blot, and one checker can hit on its intermediate stop and again on its final point. With doubles, up to four hits are possible.
What does hit and run mean?
Hitting a blot and then moving the hitting checker on to safety with the other die, so it doesn't stay exposed as a blot itself.
Is there hitting in long nardy?
No. Long nardy has no hitting at all: a point with any opposing checker is closed, and the game is about blocking instead.
Updated: October 24, 2026