Backgammon – Three General Techniques

In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three general strategies employed. You need to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious difficulty due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors 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 much improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, taking into account 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 maintain your position up until your competitor gives you a chance to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!

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