Backgammon Information

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In very general terms, there are three main tactics used. You must be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might manage, to block in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: besides, there is 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 opponent is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional pieces to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!