BACKGAMMON WINNING SPREE

The chance of winning in Backgammon depends on how much skill you have been able to amass through your bouts of failures. As Oscar Wilde once said, 'Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes'. Let?s just reiterate that luck lies in the throw of the dice while the rest depends upon your strategy and intuitive power of reading into the intricacies of the game. Skill does not only mean how to play, but applying your mathematical ability to the game with some pre-defined strategies and applying one?s mind with every changing scene. The strategy includes the distribution of checkers, causing hindrance to the opposition?s progress and your steadfast ambition to win.

To start with, we advise you to move your checkers in pairs. The obvious question here is what approach should be taken if the throw shows up unequal numbers? Always try to reach the second checker as soon as possible. This gives birth to a concept of how should one place the checkers? This is where your intuition comes into play. Establish in advance the desired point where the checker can be moved to in the next or subsequent throws. Listening to experts? comments, they prefer even distribution of checkers in the beginning to give one enough flexibility of rolls. The probability factor calculates that the best positioning is in keeping six points between checkers. We suggest that you don?t hanker after the ace-point in the beginning, rather we emphasis in the occupation of equity points (4th and 5th points) on both sides.

Whenever we are talking of owning or controlling a point by placing two checkers of your own, the primary objective is of making your checkers non-vulnerable. This essentially serves the purpose of blocking the opponent?s movement as this point becomes forbidden for him. In Backgammon terminology it is called Anchoring. Anchoring is the technique of building defensive points in the opponent?s home board to restrain the free movements of the opponent. Experienced players prefer Anchoring in the bar-adjacent points like 20, 21 in the beginning while at 22, 23, 24 points later on, when trailing significantly. If your opponent sets up an anchor the best way to counter it is with an anchor of one?s own. If one focuses on blocking the escape route then the full proof way is to build a blockade on the 24-point. What is ideal blocking? As per the experts, combinations of rows like 6+1, 3+1, 4+2, 5+3, and 6+5.

Now to strengthen your defenses further you build up a prime. Blockades at 6 successive points are called a prime. The advantage of a prime is that your opponent cannot move out from behind a prime. Experts advise you to start a prime either from your 5th point or from your bar point. Prime in the opponent?s home board may be the most preferred to limit his movements.

The frequent query remains on whether to hit or restrain from it. Where, Which and When? Where - The best place for hitting is the opponent?s home board. Which ? The most advanced checker of the opposition or target your eventual attacker as per your intuition. When ? Hit only when you can feel and visualize its advantages. Restrain yourself from unnecessary hitting. Leaving Shots may be your best strategy when you are trailing or even at times, when you feel that hitting may result in dissolving a prime or blockade. We all are quiet skeptic about being hit but go for it if you think your checkers are far away the being hit and that it will give you an advantageous position. This may be a vital factor at the very end of the game.

Regarding doubles, we suggest you to be in a safe position and issue doubles. Perhaps the best way is to go by Woolsey?s rule of thumb of doubling: 'Put yourself in your opponent?s shoes. If you would even think of dropping if doubled, then it must be a good double.'