Backgammon – 3 Main Strategies

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In very general terms, there are three basic techniques used. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious dire straits taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!