Backgammon – Three Basic Schemes
In very simple terms, there are three fundamental strategies used. You must be able to switch techniques quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is now in serious calamity seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your chances. The better places for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 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 pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this case!