Backgammon Blitz: The Attacking Strategy

Published on June 14, 2026 · Updated on July 6, 2026

With a blitz, you play aggressively from the very start: instead of carefully developing your own checkers, you try to hit as many of your opponent’s blots as possible, as early as possible, and trap them in your own home board.

How does the blitz strategy work?

The goal is to occupy as many points in your own home board as quickly as possible, while the opponent’s hit checkers have to wait on the bar. The more points you control in your home board, the harder it becomes for the opponent to re-enter from the bar — in the best case, you achieve a closeout, where all six home board points are occupied and the opponent’s checker is completely blocked.

When is a blitz a good idea?

A blitz is especially worthwhile when good attacking rolls come up early in the game, putting several of the opponent’s checkers on the bar at once. It’s riskier than pure priming, since it often leaves your own blots exposed, but if it succeeds it can lead to a gammon or even a backgammon very quickly.

Risk and reward

If the attack fails — for example because the opponent hits back your exposed blots before your home board is closed out — you can quickly end up in a weak position yourself. A blitz therefore works best in situations where you already have a slight advantage and want to press it. For an overview of all the fundamental styles of play, see our backgammon strategy article.

About the Author

Ulf Mayer

I love backgammon in all its forms – whether it's a quick match on my smartphone to pass the time, or a glass of wine alongside a beautiful wooden board with family and friends. As the founder of backgammon-meister.de, I share my passion, tactics, and tips to help both beginners and ambitious players dominate their next match. Dice cup ready? Let's master the game!

backgammon-meister.de has been online since 2008.