Backgammon – Three Main Strategies

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In very general terms, there are 3 basic techniques employed. You need to be able to switch game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in big-time trouble due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, considering that you do not have other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!