Backgammon – 3 General Schemes
Posted in Backgammon on 03/05/2025 12:25 am by Madisyn
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general game plans employed. You want to be able to switch game plans almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can create the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious trouble since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least 2 of your pieces.) It should be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your chances. The better areas for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare pieces to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!