Backgammon Information

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In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 general strategies used. You must be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in serious difficulty because they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It must be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!