Backgammon – 3 Main Schemes
In very general terms, there are 3 general plans employed. You must be agile enough to switch tactics instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time trouble due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have other spare pieces to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!