Backgammon – 3 General Strategies
In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to switch tactics almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious dire straits considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are towards your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is critical for an effective backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this situation!
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