Backgammon – 3 Basic Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 08/14/2022 09:25 am by Lillie
In very simple terms, there are three basic plans employed. You want to be able to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious calamity since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: besides, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their pieces home, because you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this case!