Backgammon Secrets

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In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 fundamental game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your checkers.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!