In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 chief strategies employed. You must be agile enough to switch techniques quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to manage, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time difficulty due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: after all, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your opponent gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!