Backgammon – Three General Techniques
Posted in Backgammon on 11/25/2020 02:25 am by Zaire
In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 chief strategies used. You must be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious difficulty taking into account that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The best places for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!