Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In exceptionally simple terms, there are three chief tactics employed. You want to be agile enough to switch techniques instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to block in your competitor's pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious calamity taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher anchors in your opponent's home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchors are near your competitor's smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there's no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!