Backgammon

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In very general terms, there are 3 main tactics used. You want to be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is now in serious difficulty taking into account that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The strongest locations for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!