Backgammon

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In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 general techniques employed. You want to be able to switch strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious calamity considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is integral for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!