Backgammon – 3 Basic Schemes

In very simple terms, there are three chief strategies employed. You need to be agile enough to switch techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you can achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate course of action at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in big-time dire straits seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The better places for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!

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