Backgammon – 3 Basic Strategies

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 basic plans employed. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is now in serious calamity due to the fact that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your chances. The better areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, because you do not have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this case!