Backgammon – 3 Basic Strategies

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three main game plans used. You want to be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time trouble taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be employed when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your chances. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, because you don’t have other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!