In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three fundamental plans employed. You must be agile enough to hop between tactics instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time dire straits taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The strongest places for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your challenger gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!
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