Backgammon – 3 Basic Schemes
In very general terms, there are 3 basic plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is now in serious calamity because they have 2 pieces 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 home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be used when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, because you do not have other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!
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