Backgammon – Three Basic Techniques
In extraordinarily general terms, there are three general game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might achieve, to lock in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is now in big-time calamity taking into account that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It should be used when you are decidedly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there is 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 moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!
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