[ English ]

In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 fundamental strategies employed. You want to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate procedure at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your chances. The better locations for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a competent 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 forced to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, seeing that you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!