Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In very general terms, there are three general techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your competitor's pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is now in serious difficulty due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor's inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this action greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchors are close to your competitor's smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: besides, there's no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, considering that you do not have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it's better to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!