Although for a beginner the best strategy seems to be to hit the opponent’s blots, this however is not always the best choice. There are some other things that you can do in order to raise your chances of winning.
Distribution of the checkers is something you should consider when playing backgammon. Having an even distribution is preferable than having a high number of checkers on the same point. This will prove valuable when trying to bring the checkers in the home board.
Exposure is one of the things you should pay attention to when playing backgammon. It is not a very bad thing to remain exposed in the beginning of the game, in order to consolidate your attack or your defense. However, you should be careful when your opponent starts to create points in his home board, because it will be harder for you to enter from the bar when you are hit. In case you have points in the opponents home board, called anchors, you can afford to take the risk of being exposed, but still, even in this case, you should limit the amount of your blots.
Blocking your opponent is another good strategy. You can do this by creating as many points as you can in the home board and in the middle of the board. This will make it harder for the other player to advance his checkers. If you manage to create a prime, with which to trap your opponent, is even better.
Hitting the opponent is almost always a good thing. This technique not only forces the other player to go back to your home board, but it also gives you more time to bring your checkers into your home board. But before hitting a blunt, you should take a minute and think about your decision. See if it is in your benefit. Sometimes it may be better to create a point in a key position than hitting. The best blunts to hit are those that are in the other player’s home board, near it, or those that may become part of a prime. Also, it is not advisable to hit if you have blunts in your home board. They may be also hit by your opponent when entering from the bar.
In case you are not able to run with the checkers from your opponent’s home board early in the game, you may have a chance to win with the anchoring strategy. One or two points in the opponent’s home board are called anchors. One of their purposes is to give you the chance to enter in case you are hit. Another one is to give you the chance to hit the blunts that your opponent may have during the game or during the bear off of his checkers.
