Backgammon – Three Main Strategies
In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 basic techniques used. You want to be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious difficulty taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least 2 of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!