Backgammon – Three General Schemes
Posted in Backgammon on 04/19/2024 01:25 am by Zaire
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 basic strategies used. You need to be able to switch strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to block in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-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 opposer on the bar. For example, if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!