In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 general techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to switch game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in serious calamity since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are extremely behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this case!