In exceptionally general terms, there are three fundamental techniques used. You need to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious trouble taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break down this right away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you can preserve your position until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
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