Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three basic plans used. You must be agile enough to switch tactics instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent's pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent's inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The best areas for anchor spots are near your opponent's smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, considering that you do not have other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this case!