Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 basic strategies employed. You want to be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in the competitor's pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty since they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor's home board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor's lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: besides, there's no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!