In very simple terms, there are three chief plans used. You must be agile enough to switch strategies almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the game. You can build the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opponent tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is now in serious difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this strategy greatly improves your chances. The best areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, 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 competitor is shifting their pieces home, seeing that you do not have any other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!
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