Backgammon – Three Basic Techniques
In very general terms, there are three general techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity considering 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 higher anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, because you do not have other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!
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