In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief tactics employed. You must be agile enough to switch game plans quickly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is now in big-time trouble taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It must be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for an effective backgame: besides, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your opponent is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you can maintain your position up till your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!
October 17th, 2020
Lee
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