Backgammon – 3 Main Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 03/16/2022 01:25 pm by Zaire
In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 fundamental game plans employed. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time difficulty taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest areas for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!