Backgammon – Three Main Plans
In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief techniques used. You want to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly 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 might achieve, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity since they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this case!