In very general terms, there are three main tactics employed. You need to be able to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is comprised of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you can achieve, to block in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable tactic at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This consists of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is now in serious dire straits due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be used when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The better areas for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for an effectual backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other additional pieces to move! In this case, it is more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a great idea to try and get your competitor to get them in this situation!