In astonishingly general terms, there are 3 main techniques employed. You want to be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of building a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your opposer tosses an early two and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you are able to play six/one six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s home board. (An anchor is a position occupied by at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is critical for a powerful backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opponent is getting their pieces home, considering that you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up till your opponent gives you a chance to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your opponent to get them in this case!