In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief strategies employed. You must be agile enough to switch techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at least two of your pieces.) It must be played when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have any other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
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