Backgammon Secrets

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three basic plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable procedure at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your competitor rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time trouble because they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your chances. The better locations for anchors are towards your competitor’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!