In astonishingly simple terms, there are three chief game plans used. You need to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your opposer is now in serious calamity since they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or more checkers in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your chances. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, considering that you do not have other extra pieces to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!