Backgammon – 3 General Plans
Posted in Backgammon on 07/05/2024 03:25 pm by Madisyn
In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 main plans employed. You want to be agile enough to switch game plans almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the match. You can build the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time difficulty because they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The better places for anchor spots are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!