In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 fundamental techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to switch tactics almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest areas for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your challenger is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this situation!
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