In astonishingly general terms, there are three general techniques used. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are near your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other extra checkers to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!