Backgammon – 3 General Plans

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In astonishingly general terms, there are three chief game plans employed. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is now in big-time difficulty because they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this situation!