Backgammon – Three Main Plans
Monday, 5. July 2021
In very simple terms, there are 3 general strategies employed. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might manage, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time calamity since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchors are towards your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada