Backgammon Information

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In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is now in serious trouble considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The best places for anchors are near your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, because you do not have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!