Backgammon Strategy Backgammon Strategy for Dummies

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In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 fundamental plans employed. You need to be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the opponent's checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious difficulty considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor's inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor's lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there's no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don't have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it's more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!