Backgammon Information

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three basic strategies used. You must be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can achieve, to block in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in serious calamity considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The best locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!