Backgammon – 3 Main Techniques
Posted in Backgammon on 02/24/2016 09:21 am by Zaire
In extraordinarily general terms, there are three main game plans employed. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time dire straits seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are extremely behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest areas for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!