Backgammon – 3 General Plans
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general techniques used. You need to be agile enough to switch game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is now in serious trouble considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!