Backgammon – 3 General Strategies
In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 chief techniques used. You want to be able to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time dire straits taking into account that they have two checkers 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 home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The best areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, because you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!