In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three general game plans used. You must be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in the competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This involves locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in serious dire straits because they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It would be played when you are extremely behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is crucial for a competent backgame: besides, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your opposer is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other additional checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!