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Bowl Streaker!

In very general terms, there are three fundamental game plans employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between tactics quickly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of building a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might manage, to barricade in the opponent's checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is now in big-time dire straits considering 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 higher checkers in your competitor's inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be used when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The strongest places for anchors are towards your opponent's smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break apart this right away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, taking into account that you do not have other spare checkers to move! In this case, it is more favorable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your competitor provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this case!