As we have dicussed in the last article, Backgammon is a casino game of ability and luck. The goal is to shift your chips carefully around the game board to your inner board while at the same time your opponent shifts their pieces toward their home board in the opposite direction. With competing player chips heading in opposing directions there is bound to be conflict and the need for particular strategies at specific instances. Here are the 2 final Backgammon techniques to round out your game.
The Priming Game Strategy
If the goal of the blocking tactic is to hamper the opponents ability to shift her chips, the Priming Game plan is to absolutely barricade any movement of the opposing player by creating a prime – ideally 6 points in a row. The opponent’s pieces will either get bumped, or result a battered position if he ever attempts to escape the wall. The trap of the prime can be established anyplace between point two and point 11 in your half of the board. After you’ve successfully assembled the prime to prevent the activity of the opponent, your opponent does not even get to roll the dice, that means you shift your chips and roll the dice again. You’ll be a winner for sure.
The Back Game Technique
The objectives of the Back Game plan and the Blocking Game plan are similar – to hurt your competitor’s positions hoping to improve your chances of winning, but the Back Game technique uses different techniques to achieve that. The Back Game technique is frequently employed when you are far behind your opponent. To play Backgammon with this plan, you need to hold two or more points in table, and to hit a blot (a single piece) late in the game. This plan is more difficult than others to use in Backgammon seeing as it needs careful movement of your pieces and how the pieces are moved is partly the result of the dice roll.
In extraordinarily general terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You want to be able to hop between techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is then in serious trouble due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are significantly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, considering that you don’t have other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!
The objective of a Backgammon match is to move your checkers around the Backgammon board and pull them from the board faster than your opponent who works harder to achieve the same buthowever they move in the opposite direction. Winning a match in Backgammon needsrequires both strategy and luck. How far you will be able to move your chips is up to the numbers from tossing a pair of dice, and how you shift your checkers are determined by your overall gambling tactics. Enthusiasts use a number of tactics in the differing stages of a game depending on your positions and opponent’s.
The Running Game Tactic
The goal of the Running Game strategy is to bring all your chips into your home board and bear them off as quickly as you can. This plan focuses on the pace of shifting your chips with little or no efforts to hit or block your competitor’s chips. The ideal scenario to employ this strategy is when you believe you can shift your own pieces quicker than your opposing player does: when 1) you have less checkers on the board; 2) all your chips have past your opponent’s chips; or 3) your opponent does not employ the hitting or blocking plan.
The Blocking Game Tactic
The main goal of the blocking tactic, by the title, is to block the competitor’s pieces, temporarily, not worrying about shifting your pieces rapidly. As soon as you have created the blockade for the opponent’s movement with a few pieces, you can move your other checkers swiftly off the board. You really should also have a clear plan when to withdraw and move the chips that you used for the blockade. The game becomes interesting when the competitor uses the same blocking tactic.
In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 chief techniques employed. You must be able to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
This is comprised of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might achieve, to block in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.
This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious trouble since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
This strategy is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It would be used when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your opportunities. The better places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
