Backgammon

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In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 general tactics used. You want to be able to hop between strategies quickly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious dire straits taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s lower points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, considering that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your competitor 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!

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

As we dicussed in the previous article, Backgammon is a casino game of talent and good luck. The aim is to shift your pieces carefully around the board to your inner board and at the same time your opposing player moves their chips toward their home board in the opposing direction. With opposing player checkers moving in opposing directions there is bound to be conflict and the need for particular techniques at specific instances. Here are the last 2 Backgammon tactics to complete your game.

The Priming Game Strategy

If the aim of the blocking strategy is to slow down the opponent to move his checkers, the Priming Game tactic is to absolutely stop any activity of the opposing player by creating a prime – ideally 6 points in a row. The opponent’s pieces will either get bumped, or end up in a bad position if he ever tries to leave the wall. The ambush of the prime can be built anywhere between point 2 and point eleven in your board. After you have successfully built the prime to stop the activity of the opponent, the opponent does not even get to roll the dice, and you move your checkers and roll the dice again. You will win the game for sure.

The Back Game Tactic

The aims of the Back Game tactic and the Blocking Game plan are very similar – to harm your competitor’s positions in hope to boost your odds of winning, but the Back Game plan relies on alternate tactics to do that. The Back Game plan is commonly employed when you are far behind your competitor. To participate in Backgammon with this plan, you need to hold 2 or more points in table, and to hit a blot late in the game. This plan is more challenging than others to play in Backgammon because it requires careful movement of your checkers and how the checkers are relocated is partly the outcome of the dice toss.