Backgammon – Three Main Schemes
Sunday, 18. October 2015
In exceptionally simple terms, there are three basic game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the game 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 lock in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable procedure at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious dire straits taking into account that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or more anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The strongest areas for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have any other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada