Backgammon – Three Basic Techniques

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In very general terms, there are 3 chief plans used. You want to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious trouble considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!