Backgammon – Three Main Schemes
In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 general game plans employed. You want to be able to switch strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might manage, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are near your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, because you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!