Backgammon – Three General Plans
Wednesday, 30. July 2025
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three fundamental game plans employed. You want to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time difficulty because they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, considering that you do not have any other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada