[ English ]

In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 basic techniques used. You need to be able to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This is comprised of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at least two of your checkers.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as this action much improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your competitor is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this case!