In very general terms, there are 3 general plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious calamity considering that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason 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 shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your challenger to get them in this situation!