Backgammon – 3 Main Plans
In exceptionally general terms, there are three main game plans used. You want to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you can achieve, to block in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised 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 shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity since they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this strategy much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this case!