Posted by Darien | Posted in Backgammon | Posted on 03-01-2022
In astonishingly general terms, there are three general game plans used. You must be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in big-time dire straits considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be used when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have other extra pieces to shift! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!