Backgammon – Three General Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 01/31/2025 02:25 pm by Madisyn
In exceptionally simple terms, there are three fundamental techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you are able to manage, to lock in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious dire straits because they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!