By Christine Merser

Most of my friends are not backgammon players. They know I play, but they don’t play. I was at a dinner party last month, and someone asked about it. I told them how often I play, and that when I have time, I also compete, but I’m never going to be a master of the sport, which is okay with me. Then someone said, “Well, why do you play? Isn’t it mostly luck anyway?” (Yes, he was from Wall Street.)

I paused and then said, “Well, isn’t there an element of luck, intuition, and skill in anything we do that has a result? Backgammon, even more than chess, for me, is one of the great competitive games that I can play. Men and women compete equally. You buy a stock. Isn’t there some element of luck or things out of your control?” There was a silent pause, so I added, “And, it’s great for my brain synapses.”

Another pause.

“What does it do to the brain?”

“Well, actually, I don’t know, but I know I feel sharper playing it.”

Busted.

So, of course, I went home and did some digging.

Get this. And yes, I did send it to everyone at the dinner party.

It turns out that when it comes to making quick decisions, our brains are remarkable. Whether you are a seasoned player or just learning, you’ve probably noticed how quickly you can evaluate your next move. At the core of quick decision-making is something called “pattern recognition.” Our brains are constantly taking in information, and the more we play, the more patterns we begin to recognize. These patterns tell us when it’s time to be aggressive, when to play defensively, or when to take a calculated risk. This ability to draw on past experiences and stored knowledge is what allows us to make decisions in that split second.

So, of course, I then started to think about how that could also work to my detriment. I, for one, am very dependent on those recognized patterns and often don’t look beyond the one that stands out like a bolded paragraph. Note to self.

Another factor at play is something neuroscientists call “chunking.” When you’re new to backgammon, every move may feel overwhelming because you’re processing each possible decision individually. However, as you gain more experience, your brain starts grouping pieces of information together. Instead of analyzing every single checker and dice combination independently, your brain starts chunking similar scenarios together. This reduces the mental load and makes it easier to scan the board and see your best options immediately.

Behind the scenes, your brain is also engaging in what’s called “heuristics”—mental shortcuts that help simplify complex decisions. For example, your brain might recognize that it’s generally safer to create closed points or that leaving a single checker exposed is a risk you want to avoid unless absolutely necessary. These rules of thumb allow you to cut through the noise and arrive at your next move without getting bogged down by unnecessary details.

This last paragraph has some holes in it, but again, it’s good to know and make sure you’re not leaning on it too much.

But backgammon isn’t only about strategy; there is that element of chance playing a significant role, which was disparagingly pointed out to me at dinner. Handling uncertainty is another impressive feature of our brains. Studies show that when faced with risk, our brains weigh the potential rewards against the possible losses. It’s what helps us calculate when to play it safe or when to go for a bold move. Over time, these calculations become almost instinctual, even though there’s a mix of logic and intuition involved.

So, backgammon offers a unique opportunity to blend intuition with calculated strategy. I know that some play based on computer precision, but I like that if I know the person across the table, or even sense their love of taking doubles—or even better, turning them down—I’ll go with my gut. PR be damned. I’m never going to be a master, and that’s not my goal, so I can take those risks against the “right move” and enjoy the moment of whether I got away with it. My love of the game includes the fact that I can do things like this when playing and take the consequences, no matter what they cost me. It beats buying 100 shares of every AI stock in hopes of making a billion dollars in the next month or two.

I have always trusted my gut instincts; they have served me well over the years, and in backgammon, those instincts can work hand in hand with my analytical approach, or so I think. When I combine intuition with learned strategies, I believe I get a powerful combination that allows me to sometimes outsmart my opponent—often without even realizing how quickly I made the decision to “go gut,” as I call it.

The bottom line? Our cognitive abilities are improved by playing while also providing an outlet for fun and social interaction. Imagine, our brains are constantly working to make sense of the game, balancing risk and reward, logic and chance—all in a matter of seconds. How cool is that?

Happy playing!

– Christine Merser

Christine touches on a point that gets little attention in the backgammon literature – and that’s incorporating your knowledge of your opponent into your decision-making. I once met a top player who said she could smell fear in her opponent. Since I know dogs can smell fear, I didn’t rule it out that she had that sense. She knew her opponent would likely drop dangerous takes so she would double.

One top player I know actually studies the matches of his opponents before going into a match. He notes that XG analyses assume both players play perfectly – which obviously isn’t true. By knowing an opponent’s weaknesses such as a tendency to drop early doubles or take passes, he can incorporate behavior from past play into his decisions.

– Karen Davis