In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three main plans used. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as deep as you can achieve, to lock in the opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is comprised of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your opponent rolls an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is then in big-time calamity seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are significantly behind as this plan greatly improves your opportunities. The better places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this case, it’s more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!