Backgammon – Three Main Plans

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In astonishingly simple terms, there are three chief tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable procedure at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time calamity considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, because you don’t have other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opposer to get them in this case!