Backgammon – 3 General Techniques
Posted in Backgammon on 10/05/2023 03:25 am by Jillian
In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 fundamental game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is critical 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 break up this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, because you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!