08.22
Backgammon – Three General Schemes
In exceptionally simple terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You want to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can manage, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable tactic at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in serious dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as this action much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, because you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!