Backgammon – Three Main Strategies

[ English ]

In extraordinarily general terms, there are three general strategies used. You must be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in big-time dire straits because they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least two of your checkers.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is important for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this situation!

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