Backgammon – 3 Main Strategies
Friday, 7. August 2026
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general strategies used. You must be able to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls 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 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in serious difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada