Backgammon – 3 Basic Strategies
In very simple terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You must be agile enough to switch strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time trouble taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at least two of your pieces.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as this strategy greatly improves your chances. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!
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