Backgammon – 3 General Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 05/06/2024 09:25 pm by Jillian
In exceptionally general terms, there are three chief plans used. You want to be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in big-time dire straits seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this situation!