The Running Strategy
The running game is an offensive strategy based on moving your checkers forward as fast as possible, avoiding blots. This strategy is simply, but it is effective only when the player rolls big numbers, and therefore its effectiveness depends mainly on luck.
However, the main points to keep in mind when using a running strategy are:
- To avoid leaving blots
- To move all checkers gradually without leaving some of the checkers at the same place for long, especially if they are in the home board of the opponent.
The Blocking Strategy
The blocking strategy is defensive. Its main purpose is to not let the opponent move his checkers to his home board. This is done by building a prime, which consists of six occupied points one after another without blots among them. The most important thing about this prime is that it must be built at a position, which is advantageous for the player, so the checkers needed to build it can reach the home board before the blocked checkers of the opponent. The ideal location for this prime is between points 8 and 3 inclusive. Such prime does not let the opponent to get out of the player's home board and keeps the checkers of the player close to their destination. It is better to start building a prime starting at your point 5 and proceed to other points. However, building a prime normally means leaving blots at the early stage of the game, and this means certain risk.
The Back Strategy
The back strategy is based on letting the opponent hit your blots and trying to hit the opponent at his home board. This strategy is useful when the opponent has a significant advantage. Re-entering the board at the opponent's home half is disadvantageous for you, but hitting the opponent's checkers that already are at his home board is more disadvantageous for the opponent.
The Opening Roll
When the game only starts and you do not even know what strategy you are going to implement, it still can be useful to set your checkers in a certain way that will serve well for all strategies. There are certain strategic points in Backgammon , and these points should better be occupied as soon as possible. These points are your point 5 and your point 4. The perfect starting strategy is to occupy your point 4 and point 5 and occupy the same points at the opponent's side to not let him block them before you. Below, there is a number of good first rolls:
- 3-1
You move a checker from point 6 to point 5 and another one from point 8 to point 5, occupying the point 5 and not leaving any blunts. - 1-1
Move 2 checkers from point 6 to point 5 and two checkers from point 8 to point 7, leaving a blunt at point 8, but occupying points 5, 6 and 7. - 4-4
Move two checkers from your opponent's point 1 to your opponent's point 4 and two other checkers from your opponent's point 12 to your point 9. - 6-6
Move two back checkers to your opponent's point 7 and two checkers from the opponent's point 12 to your point 7. - 2-2
Two checkers from your point 6 to your point 4 and two checkers from your opponent's point 12 to your point 11. - 6-1
One checker from the opponents point 12 to your point 7 and one counter from your point 8 to your point 7.