Backgammon – Three General Strategies
In astonishingly simple terms, there are three fundamental plans used. You must be able to hop between strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is now in serious trouble taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your chances. The best areas for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!
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