Backgammon – Three Main Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 02/22/2021 12:25 pm by Lillie
In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 basic game plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your challenger 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 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, because you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!