In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three basic techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opponent tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is now in big-time calamity due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective backgame: after all, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opponent is shifting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your challenger to hit them in this case!