Backgammon Information

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In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 chief game plans employed. You need to be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can manage, to block in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is now in big-time dire straits seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it is 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 great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!