Backgammon – Three General Plans
In astonishingly general terms, there are three chief strategies employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is now in serious trouble since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as this strategy much improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchors are towards your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!