Backgammon Information

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In very general terms, there are 3 main tactics employed. You must be able to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable course of action at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your competitor rolls 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 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It should be played when you are extremely behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, because you don’t have any other extra pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!