[ English ]

In very general terms, there are three fundamental game plans employed. You must be able to hop between techniques instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. 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 advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is now in big-time dire straits since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!