In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 general tactics employed. You must be agile enough to hop between strategies instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time calamity seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your chances. The better areas for anchors are towards your opponent’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your opponent provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this situation!
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