Backgammon – Three Main Schemes
In exceptionally general terms, there are three chief game plans employed. You must be able to switch strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time dire straits since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The best places for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this situation!