Backgammon – Three Basic Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 02/17/2016 06:21 pm by Lillie
In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 main techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate course of action at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is then in serious calamity seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!