In very general terms, there are 3 fundamental strategies employed. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in big-time dire straits since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It must be played when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are near your opponent’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is integral 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 home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is getting their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!