Backgammon – 3 General Schemes
Posted in Backgammon on 02/23/2022 10:25 pm by Jillian
In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 main techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to switch game plans quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is now in serious trouble considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is getting their checkers home, considering that you do not have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!