Winning Strategies for Effective Game Plans
Most beginners, more often than not, play a backgammon game really safe. They rarely keep blots, and hit as much as they can. This is of course a logical game plan, though in reality this is not the best strategy. Let us build on this principle and add to it other winning strategies for beginners.
Let's begin with distribution. Distribution generally refers to how your checkers are placed and divided along the points that they occupy. A winning strategy would require an even distribution of checkers. This would also refer to how many checkers occupy a single point.
The ideal distribution would be to have 3 checkers for each point a player's checkers would occupy. This distribution of checkers would allow at least 1 checker to move while leaving that point that was occupied to remain secured. 3 or 4 checkers would be the recommended distribution per point occupied.
Having 6 checkers or more on one point really messes up your game plan and your strategy. Movement will likely be limited to a few probabilities. Any beginner will quickly notice that a player with an even distribution would seem luckier on the dice.
The next winning strategy for any beginner is related to the first one. Players need to learn how to make primes. A prime would be an array of points that are occupied by at least 2 checkers each in a row. Ideally there should be no gaps in between these occupied points.
Winning strategies usually have primes hedged up in front of enemy checkers. They are optimally placed, that is near the home board. Establishing a prime as early as possible would provide a nasty blockade for your opponent's checkers.
The recommended points to build these primes are at the 5, 4, and 7 points. Six points in a row is an ideal prime for a winning strategy. Primes serve as blockades or impediments to the opponent.
To mess up our beginners a little bit here's the next winning strategy - create blots. More often than not, blots are easily made especially early in the game. They even become tools to create a formidable offense or defense.
Making one's self exposed to hits is an exceptional winning strategy when a player notices his opponent making more points on his home board. Getting hit means a checker gets to go back to the start (where you're opponent's home board is) and gives you a chance to hit, build a point/points, and to mess up his winning home run.
Last winning strategy a beginner might like to add to his initial arsenal would be to build anchors. Anchoring means to build defensive points. These would be positioned way behind in your opponent's home board.
Setting up anchors early on the 20 and 21 point is a winning strategy. These prevent your opponent from making his home board and they serve as a landing for you own pieces coming in from the bar. Anchors at the 22 up to the 24 points are effective areas to take your shot.
Distribution, priming, anchoring, and even exposure to attack would make up additional arsenal for a beginner's winning strategy. Build on the basics and add these for a great game plan.