Two Ways to Hit an Opposing Blot

In backgammon, checkers are moved across the board in pips at cast of the dice. A point that has a solitary checker is called a "blot". And a "hit" is an attack on an opposing blot or an enemy blot by landing on it. It's also synonymous to a "knock off". So when you hit an opposing blot, that enemy checker is placed on the bar until it can re-enter the board.

There are two ways that you can knock off an opposing blot. These are the direct hit and the indirect hit. These lines of attack relate to the pip moves from your dice throw.

The direct hit uses a pip move from one die. For instance, your opponent has 14 pieces home and tries to run the back checker but rolls poorly leaving a blot on your bar point or your seventh point. You, on the other hand, have a checker on your mid-point or your 13th point. You take your turn and throw a six-two. You accomplish the attack by advancing your mid-point checker six pips (resulting in a knock off), and then moving two more pips to complete the combination.

The indirect hit uses both numbers at the cast of the dice. Under the same circumstance mentioned above, you can realize this attack if you roll a double three, a five-one, or a four-two on your turn. These combinations permit a six pip move that will knock off the opposing blot.

It's not always wise to hit a lone enemy checker just because you have a shot at it. A knock off should work to your benefit like when you're falling behind in the game. You knock off an enemy piece so you can catch up by taking away your opponent's chance to use half a roll when they try to re-enter from the bar.

You can knock off an enemy blot via a direct hit or an indirect hit. The former uses a pip move from one die in the roll. So when you have a checker that's at least six pips away from an opposing blot, you can make a direct hit. If you use a combination or both numbers in the roll to attack an enemy blot, it's called an indirect hit. Attack an opposing blot when it's opportune and not just because you could. In backgammon, you have no control on how the dice will fall, but you control which checkers to move given the roll.