Backgammon – Three Basic Schemes
Posted in Backgammon on 07/07/2026 03:25 am by Zaire
In extraordinarily general terms, there are three general plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between game plans almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you can manage, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have other extra pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!