Backgammon

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In very simple terms, there are three chief strategies employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in big-time calamity considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are near your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!