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As we dicussed in the last article, Backgammon is a game of talent and good luck. The aim is to move your pieces safely around the board to your home board and at the same time your opposition moves their chips toward their inner board in the opposite direction. With opposing player checkers moving in opposite directions there is going to be conflict and the need for particular strategies at specific times. Here are the 2 final Backgammon techniques to round out your game.

The Priming Game Strategy

If the goal of the blocking tactic is to slow down the opponent to move his chips, the Priming Game plan is to completely stop any movement of the opposing player by creating a prime – ideally 6 points in a row. The opponent’s chips will either get hit, or result a damaged position if he/she at all tries to leave the wall. The ambush of the prime can be established anywhere between point two and point eleven in your game board. Once you’ve successfully constructed the prime to stop the movement of the competitor, your competitor doesn’t even get to toss the dice, that means you shift your pieces and roll the dice again. You’ll win the game for sure.

The Back Game Plan

The objectives of the Back Game technique and the Blocking Game plan are very similar – to hurt your competitor’s positions with hope to boost your odds of succeeding, but the Back Game plan utilizes alternate tactics to achieve that. The Back Game technique is commonly used when you’re far behind your opponent. To participate in Backgammon with this technique, you need to control 2 or more points in table, and to hit a blot (a single piece) late in the game. This technique is more difficult than others to play in Backgammon because it needs careful movement of your chips and how the checkers are moved is partially the result of the dice roll.

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In extraordinarily general terms, there are three basic game plans employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you might achieve, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in big-time dire straits since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your checkers.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, seeing that you do not have other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!