In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 main game plans employed. You must be able to hop between techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, 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 six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your opponent is then in serious calamity because they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this case!