In astonishingly general terms, there are three fundamental plans used. You want to be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to block in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time calamity taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a position filled by at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are significantly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is shifting their pieces home, considering that you don’t have other extra pieces to move! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!