Backgammon – Three Basic Techniques

Saturday, 8. July 2023

In astonishingly general terms, there are three fundamental plans employed. You want to be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity because they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, because you don’t have other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this situation!

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