Backgammon Tips Winning Backgammon Tips

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In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three basic strategies used. You need to be agile enough to switch tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to barricade in your opponent's checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is now in big-time difficulty seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent's inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are near your opponent's lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for a powerful 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 required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have other extra checkers to move! In this case, it's better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!