Backgammon – Three Basic Strategies
In very simple terms, there are 3 basic tactics used. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in serious calamity taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your competitor gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!
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