In exceptionally simple terms, there are three chief strategies used. You want to be able to hop between strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to block in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable course of action at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest locations for anchors are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break down this right away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, because you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!
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