Backgammon All About Backgammon

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 fundamental tactics used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to lock in your opponent's pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor's home board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at least 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be played when you are extremely behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are towards your competitor's smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: besides, there's no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, considering that you don't have other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it's better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your competitor gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!