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In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 basic game plans employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you can achieve, to barricade in the opponent's checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is comprised of closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time difficulty due to the fact that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor's home board. (An anchor spot is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The best places for anchor spots are close to your competitor's lower points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there is no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is getting their checkers home, taking into account that you don't have any other extra checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this situation!