In exceptionally simple terms, there are 3 chief game plans employed. You must be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you are able to achieve, to block in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious difficulty considering that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or more checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are extremely behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The best locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your opponent is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your competitor gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!