In astonishingly general terms, there are three main game plans used. You must be agile enough to switch strategies quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of building a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in serious calamity considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a competent backgame: after all, there’s no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, because you do not have other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this case!