Backgammon – 3 Main Plans

In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 fundamental tactics used. You must be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: besides, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, seeing 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 until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!

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