In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief techniques employed. You must be agile enough to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time trouble because they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It must be played when you are extremely behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no reason 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 checkers home, because you do not have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!
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