Forum Archive : Strategy--Checker play

Defending against a blitz From:   Michael J. Zehr Address:   tada@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Date:   9 January 1995 Subject:   Defending against a blitz Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   3eq9j7$5f6@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU > I'm getting blitzed a lot, how should I defend against it? The single best defense against a blitz is an anchor, preferably an advanced anchor. It's the single best defense against virtually any kind of game (well, okay, several 66's are the best defense against a racing game *grin*), but is especially important if one's opponent is trying to blitz. Several other key items: You will almost never want to break an anchor to split your back checkers. For this reason, it's sometimes a benefit to have three checkers back, because you'll often have more ways of making an advanced anchor. But you usually don't want 4 checkers back, so you want to be careful about playing loose around the rest of your board. Making a second point in your board helps your position a lot because if you're hit loose and hit back, there are 20 rolls in which your opponent doesn't have a choice of which number to play on the blitzing side. Your general game plan is probably to anchor up, survive the blitz, and hope your opponent has divided their forces to the point that it will be difficult for their back checkers to move home. Making outfield points can be very helpful for when your opponent tries to bring the back checkers around. If you can force your opponent to crash through a bad double, then you can pop your anchored checkers out and play a containing game. But again, MAKE and KEEP an anchor. -michael j zehr   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Strategy--Checker play

Avoiding major oversights  (Chuck Bower+, Mar 2008) 

Bearing off with contact  (Walter Trice, Dec 1999) 

Bearing off with contact  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 1998) 

Blitzing strategy  (Michael J. Zehr, July 1997) 

Blitzing strategy  (Fredrik Dahl, July 1997) 

Blitzing technique  (Albert Silver+, July 2003) 

Breaking anchor  (abc, Mar 2004) 

Breaking contact  (Alan Webb+, Oct 1999) 

Coming under the gun  (Kit Woolsey, July 1996) 

Common errors  (David Levy, Oct 2009) 

Containment positions  (Brian Sheppard, July 1998) 

Coup Classique  (Paul Epstein+, Dec 2006) 

Cube ownership considerations  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1996) 

Cube-influenced checker play  (Rew Francis+, Apr 2003) 

Defending against a blitz  (Michael J. Zehr, Jan 1995) 

Estimating in volatile situations  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1997) 

Gammonish positions  (Michael Manolios, Nov 1999) 

Golden point  (Henry Logan+, Nov 2002) 

Hitting loose in your home board  (Douglas Zare, June 2000) 

Holding games  (Casual_Observer, Jan 1999) 

How to trap an anchor  (Timothy Chow+, Apr 2010) 

Jacoby rule consideration  (Ron Karr, Nov 1996) 

Kamikaze plays  (christian munk-christensen+, Nov 2010) 

Kleinman Count for bringing checkers home  (Øystein Johansen, Feb 2001) 

Late loose hits  (Douglas Zare+, Aug 2007) 

Mutual holding game  (Ron Karr, Dec 1996) 

Pay now or pay later?  (Stuart Katz, MD, Nov 1997) 

Pay now or pay later?  (Stephen Turner, Mar 1997) 

Pay now or play later?  (Hank Youngerman+, Sept 1998) 

Play versus a novice  (Courtney S Foster+, Apr 2004) 

Playing doublets  (Grunty, Jan 2008) 

Playing when opponent has one man back  (Kit Woolsey, May 1995) 

Prime versus prime  (Albert Silver+, Aug 2006) 

Prime versus prime  (Michael J. Zehr, Mar 1996) 

Saving gammon  (Bill Riles, Oct 2009) 

Saving gammon  (Ron Karr, Dec 1997) 

Splitting your back men  (KL Gerber+, Nov 2002) 

Splitting your back men  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 

Trap play problem  (Brian Sheppard, Feb 1997) 

When in doubt  (Stick+, Apr 2011) 

When to run the last checker  (Stick Rice+, Jan 2009) 

When you can't decide  (John O'Hagan, Oct 2009) 

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