Bearing Off: How to Win the Race at the End of the Game

You've escaped your back checkers, built your home board, and now you're bearing off. The end of the game still has decisions that separate winning players from the rest.

Pure race: smooth and efficient

When there's no contact left, bearing off is about efficiency. Keep your checkers distributed smoothly across your home board so every number works. Avoid stacking too many checkers on one point — piles on the 1-point or 2-point waste pips on high rolls.

In a close race, count pips. If you're ahead and your opponent has no chance to catch up, play safe rather than greedy.

Contact bear-off: safety first

If your opponent still has a checker on the bar or in your home board, every blot you leave can be hit — and getting hit during the bear-off often loses the game.

Key principles:

• Clear points from the back (6-point first) to minimize the risk of leaving shots.
• Avoid leaving an odd number of checkers on your highest points.
• Never leave a blot to save a pip unless the race is truly desperate.

Gammon considerations

When a gammon is on the line — for you or against you — priorities flip. Bearing off as many checkers as possible matters more than safety, and your opponent's pip count becomes secondary to their checker count. Practice reading these positions; they come up constantly in match play.

The best practice is volume. Play quick matches, and treat every bear-off as a mini-puzzle.