Backgammon – 3 Main Strategies
In astonishingly simple terms, there are three general game plans employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you might achieve, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early two 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 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious trouble taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have any other extra pieces to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!
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