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Backgammon – 3 Main Schemes
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 basic strategies employed. You want to be able to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you are able to achieve, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The best places for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this case!