Backgammon – 3 Main Schemes
In exceptionally general terms, there are three general techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in serious trouble since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at least 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this case!
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