• Backgammon – 3 Basic Schemes

    In extraordinarily general terms, there are three main tactics used. You must be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

    The Blockade

    This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you are able to achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

    The Blitz

    This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-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 challenger is now in big-time dire straits since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

    The Backgame

    This plan is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!

     September 11th, 2026  Makenzie   No comments

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