Archive for September 28th, 2007

Backgammon – Three Basic Strategies

Posted in Backgammon on 09/28/2007 12:52 pm by Zaire
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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general tactics employed. You want to be able to hop between game plans almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in big-time calamity seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!