In extraordinarily simple terms, there are 3 basic game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to lock in the opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your opponent tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is then in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or more anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!