Backgammon

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three fundamental game plans used. You must be able to hop between techniques instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is now in serious dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your challenger is getting their pieces home, considering that you don’t have other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!