In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 general strategies employed. You want to be able to switch tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can achieve, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in big-time difficulty taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be used when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest areas for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!
This entry was posted on October 5, 2016, 8:21 am and is filed under Backgammon. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.