Tips on Warding Off a Blitz

Blitzing, in backgammon, is an attacking strategy that aims to hit blots with the intention of shutting out one's opponent. Most of the time, people will be talking about how to run a blitz. But what can you do to defend against it? If you've been finding yourself getting blitzed more often than you'd want to, take a look at these tips on warding off a blitz.

The first thing you should understand about a blitz is that your opponent wants to keep you on the bar until your opponent completes a prime. You will be hit repeatedly and if your opponent succeeds in running it, you'll be closed out from board. The worst case scenario is that you'll be immobile until your opponent breaks a point for you to re-enter. But by that time, you'll be so far behind and catching up will be easier said than done.

The attacking strategy of the blitz is one of the most popular in backgammon. But as with any attack in this game of logic, there is a defense against it. While we can wish for rolling double sixes, it's not a reliable solution because we can't honestly make that happen. That's why the anchor is the defensive player's trusty answer in warding off a blitz.

An anchor is a point that you've made on your opponent's home board. That's two or more of your checkers on those points. If you're holding an anchor, it'll be impossible to blitz you. Well, now that you know that an anchor's one of the tips on warding off a blitz, the next thing you must know deals with keeping it.

As long as you have an anchor, your opponent can't effectively blitz you. So, if you are going to make one, make it an advanced anchor. That's two or more of your checkers on your opponent's four-point or five-point. Making these points don't just defeat a blitz, they make an awkward layout for your opponent to bear-in as well.

Backgammon tips on warding off a blitz come down to these: make an anchor and keep it for as long as you can. Also, don't keep more than three back checkers because it will be hard to run when the hitting is done. Keeping three checkers back also allows you to keep an anchor without splitting it prematurely so you can hold it for as long as it's necessary.