In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 chief tactics used. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the start of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your opportunities. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other extra checkers to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your challenger to get them in this case!
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