In extraordinarily general terms, there are three fundamental techniques used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to manage, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your competitor rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is now in big-time dire straits considering that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are near your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, considering that you do not have other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
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