Backgammon – Three Basic Strategies
In astonishingly general terms, there are three basic techniques employed. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate course of action 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 advances.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for an effectual backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!