Backgammon – Three General Schemes
In very general terms, there are three chief plans used. You want to be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to block in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious trouble due to the fact 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 higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be used when you are significantly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!