Backgammon – Three General Strategies
Posted in Backgammon on 09/04/2019 01:25 pm by Jillian
In very simple terms, there are 3 fundamental game plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between tactics instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious calamity because they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this situation!