In exceptionally simple terms, there are three basic plans employed. You want to be able to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can manage, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point separating them. Timing is critical for an effective backgame: besides, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your competitor gives you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!