Backgammon – Three General Techniques
Posted in Backgammon on 10/29/2020 07:25 pm by Jillian
In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 main tactics employed. You must be able to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in big-time calamity taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The better places for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, because you do not have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!