Backgammon – Three Main Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 11/27/2025 12:25 pm by Jillian
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 chief tactics used. You want to be able to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in serious trouble seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this action greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your challenger is getting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!