Backgammon – Three General Plans

In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 chief techniques employed. You must be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time trouble taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it is 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 will be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your challenger to get them in this situation!