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Backgammon – Three General Schemes
March 25th, 2024 by Claudia

In astonishingly simple terms, there are three basic techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early two 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 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity since they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have other additional pieces to move! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this situation!


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