Backgammon – Three General Strategies

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In very simple terms, there are three basic strategies employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to block in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your challenger tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or higher anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are significantly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: after all, there is no reason 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 opposer is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!