Backgammon – Three General Strategies
Posted in Backgammon on 02/13/2025 06:25 am by Lillie
In astonishingly simple terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You must be able to switch strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is now in big-time calamity considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your chances. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!