Backgammon Vs. Chess
Why have backgammon and chess been always compared against each other, when chess is not a gambling game unlike backgammon? It is simple, backgammon, like chess, requires analytical thinking from their players.
Without analytical thinking, game players would be lost in backgammon. Like chess players, they need to learn certain attacks and strategies to be able to win. That is why a lot of books about this game have already been written, for beginners, for intermediate gambling players, and even for the professional ones. There is so much to learn, and it hard to perfect the craft of this game, much like the game of chess.
Certain strategies in this game can also be used in chess. Backgammon players may choose to be aggressive, which chess players also do in chess matches. Some people opt to hit a lot of their opponent's checkers as soon as possible, and then make it to the homeboard fast. They may also raise the stakes quite too often. In chess, aggressive players are the ones who try to do a checkmate on their opponent early in the game.
Another backgammon strategy that players use, which can be applicable to chess, is the passive strategy. Passive players in backgammon set up traps instead of attacking their opponents' pieces as fast as they can. These types of players wait for their opponents to fall into their traps, that is why the game speed is much slower. Chess players on the other hand are on passive mode when they seem not to attack the king directly, and scatter the pieces in a strategic set up on the board.
Backgammon players may also influence or even force the opponent to move his pieces in their desired way. This they do by moving their own pieces to positions that would leave the other opponent little or no choice at all. As for their part, chess players also do this which results in the opponent sacrificing his queen or even getting himself in checkmate.
The biggest difference between backgammon and chess is the factor that luck brings to those games. In backgammon, players rely heavily on their luck in casting the dice, however, afterwards, moving the checkers depends on the players' skills. Meanwhile, chess players need very little luck to win games. They win almost totally because of their good strategies. If luck is any factor, then it may only come in the form of the opponent's mistakes.