In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief tactics used. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious dire straits seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: after all, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, because you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your competitor gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!
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