Backgammon – 3 Main Strategies

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Posted by Nadia | Posted in Backgammon | Posted on 09-11-2015

[ English ]

In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three fundamental plans employed. You must be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious calamity since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are near your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your challenger is getting their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!

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