Backgammon – Three Basic Plans
Tuesday, 30. September 2025
In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 general techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious trouble seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada