Backgammon – Three Main Schemes

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 chief plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you are able to manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious difficulty because they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!