The Essential Basics of Backgammon Tactics – Part 2

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As we have dicussed in the previous article, Backgammon is a game of talent and luck. The goal is to shift your pieces carefully around the board to your inner board while at the same time your opponent shifts their pieces toward their inner board in the opposing direction. With competing player checkers moving in opposite directions there is going to be conflict and the need for specific strategies at particular instances. Here are the last two Backgammon techniques to round out your game.

The Priming Game Tactic

If the aim of the blocking plan is to slow down the opponent to move her checkers, the Priming Game plan is to completely block any movement of the opponent by assembling a prime – ideally 6 points in a row. The opponent’s chips will either get bumped, or end up in a damaged position if she at all attempts to escape the wall. The trap of the prime can be built anywhere between point 2 and point 11 in your board. After you have successfully constructed the prime to stop the activity of the competitor, your competitor doesn’t even get a chance to roll the dice, that means you move your checkers and roll the dice again. You will be a winner for sure.

The Back Game Technique

The aims of the Back Game technique and the Blocking Game plan are very similar – to hinder your opponent’s positions in hope to better your chances of succeeding, however the Back Game plan utilizes alternate tactics to do that. The Back Game technique is commonly used when you’re far behind your competitor. To compete in Backgammon with this plan, you need to hold 2 or more points in table, and to hit a blot (a single piece) late in the game. This strategy is more difficult than others to employ in Backgammon seeing as it requires careful movement of your checkers and how the chips are moved is partly the result of the dice toss.