Backgammon – Three Main Schemes

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In very simple terms, there are three general plans used. You must be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

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

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious trouble because they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!