In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 general plans used. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you might manage, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-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 now in big-time calamity taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It would be used when you are extremely behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The better places for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!