Backgammon – 3 Basic Techniques

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In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 main tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious dire straits since they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!