Backgammon Strategy Backgammon Strategy for Dummies

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In very general terms, there are three chief strategies employed. You must be able to hop between tactics instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent's checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate course of action at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time dire straits considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent's inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are near your competitor's smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: after all, there's no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, because you don't have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!