Backgammon – 3 Basic Strategies
Friday, 2. August 2024
In very general terms, there are 3 main game plans used. You need to be able to switch strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to block in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate procedure at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be used when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!
Posted in Backgammon by Jada