Backgammon – Three Main Strategies
In very general terms, there are 3 general tactics employed. You want to be able to hop between game plans almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a point filled by at least two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your opportunities. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, because you don’t have other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!
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