Backgammon – 3 Main Schemes
In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 general plans employed. You need to be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time calamity considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The better places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!