Backgammon – 3 General Techniques

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can achieve, to block in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time trouble because they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!