Backgammon – 3 Basic Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 02/15/2023 10:25 pm by Madisyn
In astonishingly general terms, there are three chief game plans used. You must be able to switch game plans instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time dire straits seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your challenger is moving their checkers home, because you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!