Backgammon

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In very simple terms, there are three chief game plans used. You need to be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in serious calamity considering that 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 higher pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The better places for anchors are towards your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!