In astonishingly simple terms, there are three fundamental tactics used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this strategy much improves your chances. The best places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you do not have other extra checkers to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to attempt and get your challenger to get them in this situation!
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