In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 fundamental strategies employed. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in serious calamity seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this strategy much improves your chances. The best areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!
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