Backgammon Blitz Game Part 3 - Middle Strategy

Vic Morawski: Hi I am Vic and today we are introducing you to the game of Backgammon. Next we would like to look at some important moves to make in the middle game strategy when you are playing a blitz. There is a strategy when your opponent has two checkers on the bar that you want to follow. Sometimes when you try to make a point, let's suppose you have already made this point, sometimes when you try to make point as we said in the running game, you will bring builders down. Now suppose you roll another 6-4, you could run those checkers back but a better strategy would be to bring to two builders down into the main points. Notice when your opponent has two checkers on the bar, only certain high doubles, both come in and move out to your opponent's or rather to your outer board. So, you can safely move checkers down as builders if your opponents has a two checkers on a bar and give yourself the best chance of making inner board points. Now, another way you can make a point is to slot it, that is drop a blot on it and hope to roll a number that covers it next time against two checkers on a bar. Nearly every expert agrees that it's not a good thing to drop a blot in here like on your three points hoping to then roll a number that covers it next time. A far better strategy is to wait. Let's suppose on white's roll, white roll or something alike a 3-1 and can only bring one of those blots in. A far better strategy is to then hit that blot, put it on the bar and it's a priority by the way to hit that blot because remember one of the things you want to keep your opponent from doing in a blitz, in fact your number one priority is to keep your opponent from making a point in your inner board. So you wait till your opponent has brought a blot in and then you hit it and now you hope to cover on the next roll if your opponent does not hit back.

Now, if your opponent rolls anything like double fours and does something like that, you are out of a blitz. You are no longer in a blitz, you are into a different type of a game. But if you can keep those checkers on the bar, keep your opponents from making any inner board points you are well on your way to closing your opponent out and executing a successful blitz and you look very powerful when you blitz your opponent because your opponent has usually lost the game and usually lost at least a gammon without even getting going. So think about this as a possible game plan. Next we are going to look at the Priming Game.

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