Backgammon – Three Main Strategies
by Caden on Thursday, November 21st, 2019
In very simple terms, there are three fundamental strategies used. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics instantly 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 can manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious calamity considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this situation!
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