In exceptionally general terms, there are three fundamental plans employed. You need to be able to hop between strategies almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere between your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your chances. The better areas for anchors are towards your opponent’s lower points and either on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is getting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!
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