In very simple terms, there are three main techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the match. You can create the wall anyplace within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious difficulty since they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at least two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The strongest locations for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up till your opponent provides you an opportunity 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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