Backgammon – 3 General Schemes

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In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 general plans used. You need to be agile enough to switch techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious difficulty considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at least two of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The better places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!