Backgammon – Three General Techniques

In astonishingly general terms, there are three general tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are extremely behind as this action much improves your chances. The best places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, considering that you do not have other spare pieces to move! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!

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