Backgammon – 3 General Strategies
Posted in Backgammon on 02/17/2016 03:21 pm by Jillian
In very general terms, there are three fundamental strategies used. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time dire straits seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!