Backgammon – 3 General Plans

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 basic plans used. You need to be able to switch strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are extremely behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are near your opponent’s lower points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have other additional pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!