Backgammon – 3 General Strategies
Posted in Backgammon on 08/30/2022 05:25 am by Lillie
In exceptionally general terms, there are three chief tactics employed. You must be agile enough to switch game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is then in big-time trouble because they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!