In very simple terms, there are 3 general strategies employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is now in big-time calamity since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are near your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, considering that you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your opposer to get them in this situation!