Backgammon Information

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In very general terms, there are three chief plans used. You want to be able to hop between strategies quickly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might manage, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable strategy at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time calamity considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!