Backgammon – Three Basic Plans

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In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 main strategies employed. You want to be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious trouble due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, because you don’t have other additional checkers to move! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this situation!