In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 fundamental techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you are able to manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable procedure at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time trouble taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your opportunities. The better areas for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, considering that you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!
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