In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 main strategies used. You want to be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you might achieve, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time calamity taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The strongest areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is important for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!