Backgammon – Three Basic Schemes

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In astonishingly general terms, there are three basic tactics used. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in big-time calamity since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It should be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, because you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!