Match Play and the Crawford Rule: Backgammon Beyond One Game

How match play in backgammon works, why first-to-N is fundamentally different from money games, the Crawford rule explained, and the cube rules that change at match score.

A single game of backgammon is a fine thing. But the world-class version of backgammon — the version played in international championships, on the high-stakes circuit, and in serious club tournaments — is match play. First to N points, with rule modifications that completely reshape strategy at certain scores.

Match play feels like a different game. Cube decisions that would be automatic in a money game become marginal at certain match scores; cube decisions that look insane in money games become correct at others. This post is about how match play works, what the Crawford rule does, and why understanding match-score equity is the next step after you have learned the doubling cube basics.

What "first to N" means

A backgammon match is a sequence of games, played to a target score. Each game is worth the value of the doubling cube when it ended:

• A standard win (no gammon) at cube value 1 = 1 point
• A gammon at cube value 1 = 2 points
• A backgammon at cube value 1 = 3 points
• A standard win at cube value 2 = 2 points (a double)
• A gammon at cube value 2 = 4 points
• A standard win at cube value 4 = 4 points
• ...and so on, doubling each time the cube turns

The first player to reach the target score wins the match. Common match lengths are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 points — odd numbers, almost always. Tournament finals are typically 11 to 25.

You will see match scores written like 3-1 in a 7 — meaning Player A has 3 points, Player B has 1 point, in a match to 7.

Why match play changes strategy

In a money game, every point you win or lose is exactly equivalent to every other point. Earning a 4th point is the same as earning a 1st. Losing a 4th is the same as losing a 1st. Equity is linear in points.

In match play, equity is not linear in points. Some points matter much more than others depending on the score. The player one point from victory has much more to gain by reaching the win than they do to lose by falling behind, and that asymmetry rewires every cube decision.

The mathematical tool for measuring this is a match equity table — a lookup of "given the current score, what is each player's probability of winning the match." Strong match players have these tables memorised for at least the common short matches. The numbers come from millions of bot rollouts and have been stable for decades.

For example, in a 7-point match at score 0-0, both players are 50%. At 5-3, the leader is around 73%. At 6-5 (one away vs two away), the leader is around 70% — close, but with the cube and gammons mixing in, the chasing player still has real chances.

The Crawford rule

When a player reaches one point away from winning the match — they need exactly 1 more point to win — a special rule kicks in for one game only: the doubling cube cannot be used.

This game is called the Crawford game, and the rule is simply that the leader and the trailer must play the next game without the cube. After that one game, if the trailer wins, the cube returns for all subsequent games.

Why the Crawford rule exists

Without it, the trailing player has nothing to lose. If the leader is at 6 in a 7-point match, the trailer is desperate, and a desperate player will double the cube on move one of every game — turning what would have been a 1-point loss into a 2-point loss every time, but accepting that gamble because they need points fast.

Without the Crawford rule, the leader is in an absurd situation: take every cube (which are mathematically marginal at best) and risk losing the match by gammon, or drop every cube and effectively concede a point per game until the trailer catches up.

The Crawford rule fixes this by forcing one cube-free game where the leader gets a fair chance to play out a normal game and reach the target without trick cube turns.

After the Crawford game, the cube is back. The trailer's strategy of doubling immediately is back too — and it is now actually correct. This is called post-Crawford, and the immediate first-roll double is sometimes called the mandatory double because not doubling is a clear strategic error.

The Crawford game from the leader's side

You are 6-3 in a 7-pointer. You are now Crawford, no cube. What changes about your strategy?

• Play to win. A normal win is +1 (= match). A gammon win is +2 (= match plus cushion that doesn't matter). A backgammon is also +match. So gammons and backgammons are equivalent — the only thing that matters is winning.
• Avoid loss-by-gammon if possible. A normal loss is -1 (now 6-4). A gammon loss is -2 (now 6-5). A backgammon loss is -3 (now 6-6, even match). The gap between losing 1 point and losing 3 is enormous: 6-4 is a much better trail position than 6-6.
• Take fewer risks. This means you do not play aggressive backgames or speculative blitzes. Solid, racing play. Get to a finished bear-off as cleanly as possible.

The Crawford game from the trailer's side

You are 3-6 in a 7-pointer, Crawford. No cube.

• Take any reasonable risk for a gammon. A standard win is +1 (now 4-6, still trailing). A gammon win is +2 (now 5-6, very competitive). The marginal value of the gammon is huge.
• Play sharper, more aggressive openings. Slot the 5-point even when it's risky. Build a prime aggressively. Try for the blitz.
• Backgammons are usually irrelevant because most ways to score a backgammon also score a gammon, and the additional point matters less than the gammon's first point.

Post-Crawford and the automatic double

After the Crawford game (assuming the trailer won — otherwise the match is over), the cube returns. The trailer is now still behind, with a cube that is theirs to use, and almost zero downside to using it.

In post-Crawford play, the trailer should turn the cube on the first roll, every game, with no exceptions. The reason is simple: if they win, they get 2 points instead of 1; if they lose, they were going to lose anyway because a single match-length point loss puts the leader on match. Doubling immediately captures the gammon factor.

The leader, in post-Crawford, takes the immediate cube about half the time and drops the rest, depending on the score and the gammon distribution. Tables exist for this. Get one if you play matches.

Match equity and the cube

Even outside Crawford, match score affects every cube decision. The same position that is a "huge double, easy take" at 0-0 in a 9-pointer might be a "no double, easy take" at 7-7 — because the leader has already nearly won and shouldn't risk a cube that would put them in a 3-pointer-loss situation.

The full theory of cube actions at match score is called match equity theory and is the deepest part of backgammon strategy. Mike Svobodny's World Class Backgammon and Bill Robertie's Modern Backgammon are the canonical texts. Spend a year with either and you will understand why high-level match play is closer to a probability-finance problem than a board game.

Trying match play

The best way to learn match play is to play it. Most online platforms support N-pointer matches, and the 6proclub lineup will offer ranked matches alongside money games. Every dice roll in every game of every match is provably fair — so if you lose a Crawford game on a 6-6 doubles roll, you can confirm yourself that the dice were not the dealer's friend.

Match play takes longer than money play, but it is the form of the game where champions are crowned. If you have learned the opening moves and the bear-off, match play is the next mountain to climb. Worth the climb.