Backgammon – Three General Strategies
by Caden on July 1st, 2024
In very simple terms, there are three main tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer 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 can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious dire straits because they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It would be employed when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, because you do not have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
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