Backgammon – Three Main Plans
In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 basic techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to switch game plans almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time dire straits since they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are near your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have other extra pieces to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this situation!
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