Archive for October 16th, 2023

Backgammon – Three Main Schemes

Posted in Backgammon on 10/16/2023 01:25 am by Lillie
[ English ]

In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief techniques employed. You must be agile enough to switch game plans instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time dire straits seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other extra pieces to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!