In exceptionally simple terms, there are three general game plans used. You want to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you might manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate procedure at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in serious trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this action much improves your opportunities. The better places for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!