In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three basic strategies used. You want to be agile enough to hop between game plans instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can build the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious calamity taking into account that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this situation!