Backgammon – 3 General Techniques
Friday, 24. July 2026
In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief techniques employed. You want to be able to switch tactics instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger 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 toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is now in serious dire straits considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this strategy greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchors are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada