Backgammon – 3 Main Plans
In astonishingly simple terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You want to be able to switch game plans quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is now in big-time difficulty seeing that 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 higher anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!

