05.21
Backgammon – Three General Plans
In exceptionally general terms, there are three main game plans used. You must be able to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in serious calamity since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It should be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The best areas for anchors are towards your opponent’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!