In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three main strategies used. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace within your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time dire straits because they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It must be played when you are significantly behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, considering that you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this case!
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