Backgammon – 3 Basic Techniques

In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief strategies used. You need to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least 2 of your pieces.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are near your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!

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