Backgammon – Three General Plans
Monday, 25. May 2026
In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief strategies employed. You want to be able to switch tactics almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-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 quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious trouble considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It must be used when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada