In very simple terms, there are three chief game plans employed. You want to be able to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to achieve, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as quick as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early 2 and moves one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three 8/3. Your competitor is then in serious dire straits seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum two of your checkers.) It needs to be played when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your opportunities. The best places for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point in between. Timing is integral for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have other spare pieces 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 gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a good idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!