The endgame looks simple: all checkers are home, and you just need to take them off the board. Many players relax during this phase and start playing on “autopilot,” thinking the hard part of the job is done..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this is precisely where mistakes that cost victories are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The endgame is not just about rolling dice and bearing off checkers; it is a phase of the game with clear principles. If you follow them, you minimize the number of rolls needed to bear off all 15 checkers. If you ignore them, you can lose a game where you had a substantial lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you bring your checkers home, the natural tendency is to push them as deep as possible \u2014 onto the 1, 2, and 3-points. It feels like progress, but once you start bearing off, you realize you have 4\u20135 checkers piled on low points and gaps on the higher ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a classic mistake, and it is paid for dearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why? Because gaps on higher points mean that certain dice numbers will not allow you to bear off. If you roll a 5, and you have no checkers on the 5-point or higher, you are forced to move a checker within the home board instead of taking it off the board. That is a wasted pip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal is an even, triangular distribution: the most checkers on the higher points (5 and 6), fewer on the middle points, and the fewest on the low points. This distribution ensures that almost every dice combination directly results in bearing off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every move in the endgame has a clear hierarchy of priorities \u2014 and it is crucial that you know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First:<\/strong> If you can bear off two checkers, you always do it. No exceptions, no second-guessing. There is no situation where it is better to bear off one checker and move another within the home board “for the sake of distribution.” The goal is to reduce the total number of checkers on the board as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second:<\/strong> If only one number can bear off a checker, use the other to fill a gap. Let’s say you have a gap on the 3-point and you roll 5-4. The 5 bears off a checker from the 5-point. The 4 cannot bear off a checker \u2014 so the right move is to bring a checker down from a higher point to fill the gap on the 3-point. Leaving open gaps can cost you several wasted rolls later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third:<\/strong> If neither number can bear off a checker, create the best possible distribution \u2014 clear your higher checkers down to lower points and prepare for the next roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This hierarchy applies to every single move in the endgame. A player who consistently applies it bears off checkers faster than their opponent, even when rolling the exact same numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The endgame is a phase that seems simple but hides enough traps to turn the game around. A player who understands these principles \u2014 even distribution, filling gaps, and maximizing the bear-off \u2014 will have a distinct advantage over someone who just rolls the dice and hopes for good numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This video explains the concepts we have written about:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe endgame is not autopilot<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n