Backgammon – Three General Schemes

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 general game plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you can manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position filled by at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other additional pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this case!