What is a blot in backgammon?
A blot is a single checker alone on a point. If your opponent lands on it, it is hit and sent to the bar, while two or more checkers make a safe point.
A blot is one checker sitting alone on a point. It is the only kind of checker that can be hit. Two or more of your checkers on the same point form a point that your opponent can’t land on at all.
What happens when a blot is hit
- The opponent’s checker lands on the point and takes it over.
- Your checker goes to the bar, the strip in the middle of the board.
- Before you can move anything else, you must bring that checker back in; see how to enter from the bar.
Why blots matter
A hit costs you the ground the checker had already covered and can cost you a turn if the entry points are blocked. The closer an enemy checker is behind your blot, the more of your opponent’s rolls can reach it, so leave blots where they are hard to reach, or where being hit costs little.
The flip side is that a blot on your side of the board is a target you can leave on purpose: hitting one is a strong play whenever it’s open to you.
Play Backgammon free →Invite a friend or practice with the computer. No sign-up.