In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 general strategies used. You must be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to lock in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-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 opposer is now in big-time trouble because they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!