Backgammon – Three Basic Plans
by Karla on Friday, January 27th, 2017
In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 general plans employed. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to block in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts 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 opposer is then in serious trouble seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy much improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other additional pieces to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!
Posted in Backgammon | No Comments »
