Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In astonishingly simple terms, there are three general strategies employed. You must be able to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might manage, to lock in your opponent's pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious trouble because they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor's inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this action much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are close to your opponent's smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you don't have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!