In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 chief plans employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious calamity seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or higher checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your pieces.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other spare pieces to move! In this situation, it is better to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your challenger gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!
December 19th, 2025
Lee
Leave a reply