Backgammon – Three Main Techniques

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three main techniques employed. You want to be able to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to block in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious dire straits taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best locations for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!