Backgammon – 3 General Schemes

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 fundamental tactics used. You need to be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, because you do not have other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!