Backgammon – Three Basic Strategies
Posted in Backgammon on 11/16/2023 06:25 am by Jillian
In astonishingly general terms, there are three fundamental tactics employed. You want to be agile enough to switch strategies instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can achieve, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious difficulty due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be employed when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, because you do not have any other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!