Backgammon – Three Basic Plans
In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 chief strategies used. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious trouble seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchors are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have any other extra pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!