Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In very general terms, there are 3 chief tactics employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to block in the opponent's pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in serious trouble since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent's home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are close to your competitor's lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: besides, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!