The Basics of Backgammon Strategies – Part 1

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

The aim of a Backgammon match is to shift your pieces around the game board and pull those pieces from the board quicker than your challenger who works just as hard to achieve the same buthowever they move in the opposing direction. Winning a round of Backgammon requires both strategy and luck. Just how far you will be able to move your checkers is left to the numbers from rolling the dice, and just how you shift your pieces are decided on by your overall playing tactics. Players use differing strategies in the different stages of a game dependent on your positions and opponent’s.

The Running Game Plan

The aim of the Running Game technique is to entice all your pieces into your inside board and bear them off as quickly as you can. This technique concentrates on the pace of moving your chips with no time spent to hit or block your opponent’s chips. The ideal time to use this strategy is when you think you might be able to shift your own chips quicker than your opponent does: when 1) you have less checkers on the game board; 2) all your chips have moved beyond your opponent’s checkers; or 3) the opponent does not employ the hitting or blocking plan.

The Blocking Game Tactic

The main goal of the blocking plan, by the title, is to block the opponent’s chips, temporarily, while not worrying about moving your chips quickly. Once you’ve established the barrier for your opponent’s movement with a couple of pieces, you can shift your other chips swiftly from the game board. The player will need to also have a good plan when to withdraw and shift the pieces that you used for blocking. The game gets interesting when your opposition utilizes the same blocking strategy.