Backgammon – Three Basic Plans

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three general game plans used. You must be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!