In very general terms, there are three main game plans used. You must be able to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It should be employed when you are extremely behind as this strategy much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break down this straight away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be an excellent idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this case!