But when I want to discuss strategy, I go to a friend who is a semi-pro.

At least in my eyes.

I asked him recently for some strategy tips: first thing he suggested was to try to establish anchors in your opponent’s home board.

Yeah, it is a  defensive strategy, but it gives you a safe landing place if you are hit and waiting to reenter.

My friend said, “Try to create anchors on the higher points (20 and 21).”

If you have enough checkers behind, keep two anchors next to each other.

You see, it’s often worthwhile to allow a blot to be hit in order to buy time and protect other valuable points, so the anchors will help you get these checkers back on the backgammon board quickly and painlessly.

Next time, more strategy.

Tapa? It’s a backgammon variation. The word itself means “bottle cap” and it’s an appropriate name because one player is looking to block out the other opponent’s pieces.

The movement of the checkers and the objective of “tapa” are same as backgammon, except for one important difference: a blot (single checker) is not taken out when its hit but rather the opponent’s checker rest on top of the blot and by doing that forms a point.

A player can also form points in the usual way by placing two or more of his own checkers in the same slot.

If a player leaves a blot in one of his home slots and gets it covered, the players certainly loses a backgammon (unless the opponent has done the same, in this case it’s a tie).

A long doublet (5 and 5 or 6 and 6) in the first stages of “tapa” can be useful because the opponent might have some blots in his home slots and the player might be able to cover them.

The closer this happens to the opponent’s home slots the better, because the later the player will free the blot as he’s bearing off.

Tapa is definitely a game of strategy.

A player will need to utilize strategy when caught close to his own home, he will need to force his opponent to free his blot, by blocking his checkers creating a situation that he will not have any other option to move.

If neither of the players gets caught early in the game. Both of them try to move their checkers in almost prime formations. This will create a situation when the opponents try pass through each other.

When I was in the country I noticed that people actually play three games – backgammon, Gul Bara, and Tapa in a row.

The cube isn’t used and there are no backgammons, but there are gammons.

These games (or their names) came to Bulgaria from Turkey.

I was told that backgammon is probably the most favorite recreation among Bulgarian retirees.

I looked around.

I surfed the net.

I looked at books.

And then I went to Play65.

Bingo.

Or, should I say, gammon.

Go there. The site contains vast amounts of informaion regarding backgammon, a backgammon school and different modes of play, which allow you to practice your skill against thousands of players from all over the world.

But don’t take my word for it.

Check it out.

And report back to the thousands of folks who read this posting every week.

Including beginners.

Did you know that throughout the history of backgammon, the Church attempted various times to ban the game, but constantly failed.

Cardinal Woolsey, in the 16th century, ordered all the boards burned, calling the game “the devil’s folly.”

Burning the boards was useless, still, since any sort of board can be drawn within dirt or sand as well as played with smaller pebbles. Dice were frequently handmade as well as have been modest enough to be quickly concealed on an individual or hidden in someone’s house. Furthermore, the English had been pretty clever as well as made the decision to disguise the backgammon board as the folding publication. The innovative craftsmanship will be even evident within the board we use these days.

Edmund Hoyle, the famous writer as well as gamesman, documented the rules as well as the history of backgammon within the mid 1700′s.

English colonists brought backgammon to the homes within America, along utilizing chess and other board games.

Although the game of backgammon missed some popularity in the Victorian era, it quickly reappeared as well as gained force in the 20th century.

Early in the 20th century, someone (we don’t know who) devised the doubling cube, that offers players the opportunity to multiply their first wager by the number on the doubling cube.

Tournaments, books, magazines, and clubs are now the part of the historical past of backgammon.

The introduction of the game on the Internet has increased its popularity to an even better extent.

Which leads to my conclusion: BG FOREVER!

Even I do it.

I always try to escape my runners first and  AFTER that concentrate on blocking my opponent.

But maybe there is a better strategy to play, one the experts suggest could lead to wins.

Why not revent the opponent from escaping with high numbers such as 6?

Perhaps at the expense of exposing blots.

This can be an effective strategy, since  most players first think about escaping and only then consider all other needs.

Once you prevent the opponent from escaping, he runs into a problem and changes his or her playing  strategy. You know, throwing them off their game.

Then you can start searching for an escape path from the opponent’s home board, even if it means exposing your runners.

The opponent will look to hit your checkers at any price, even at a liability to himself. The stress of being blocked will lead the opponent to make numerous mistakes.

What if you are trying to block the opponent at the expense of leaving distant blots, which are still hit.

The game is not lost.

If you have been hit more than twice, create two anchors on the opponent’s home board, even if it means creating shots for the opponent.

Sooner or later, I’m thinking, the opponent will leave blots, which will raise your chances of hitting his checkers and returning them to your home board, which by now should be strong.

Get it? I know it is a bit unusual. And it might even feel uncomfortable. But give it a try. Test run it.

And you just might be surprised by the results.