In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 basic strategies employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time trouble seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point occupied by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It must be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The best areas for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opponent is getting their pieces home, considering that you don’t have other additional checkers to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!