Following an Early Blitz Attack

You've tried an early blitz, with 55. You made your ace, but your opponent entered and you have found yourself slugged in your outer board.

Once you've made your own ace point, it is more or less pointless to later try to develop a back game. Timing will rarely be good with those 2 checkers on the ace all rested up and with no place to go. Having made the ace not only affects your timing but your flexibility as well.

With every roll you have to move 1 or more of the other 13 checkers you still have to play with, which renders it tricky to hold a position or force your opponent to make difficult choices.

Combined with timing, your chances to hold 2 back points long enough to hit a winning shot are slim. Additionally, with the ace point made, you're not likely to be able to build a board that contains any blot you hit, and even less likely to be able to force your opponent to leave a second blot for you.

Many sequences that include O: split, X: 55: O: fan, X: double are takeable. Others are close passes. Since much of X's equity will consist of gammons, O's winning chances may not be that bad. Be prepared to give up if your blitz fails and it looks like you'll be forced to play a deep anchor holding game (on the 24, 23 or 22).

If your blitz fails, your best chance will be a mutual advanced game, with you having the worst of the timing. Keep in mind that you will have a 3 or 4 point board, so hitting an outfield blot may tie up your opponent long enough to let you scuttle home. But if that doesn't happen, try hard to make an advanced anchor on the 20, 18 or 21. Keep your other checkers in play in front of your opponent and flexible.

Getting a third or even fourth checker hit may be to your advantage, helping your timing and allowing you to keep your anchor longer. It's not good to be well up in the race if that means being forced off your anchor and getting pulverized. Often, since you started the game by building a racing lead, you'll be able to afford to be hit repeatedly without falling too far behind.