Backgammon – 3 General Techniques
Posted in Backgammon on 12/20/2020 10:25 am by Jillian
In very simple terms, there are 3 main game plans employed. You must be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate tactic 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 game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in serious calamity since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It should be used when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your challenger is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this case!