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Bowl Streaker!

In very general terms, there are 3 fundamental tactics employed. You want to be able to switch strategies instantly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you might manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate strategy at the start of the game. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opposer tosses an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your competitor is then in serious dire straits seeing that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have closed half your home board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at least two of your pieces.) It would be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s lower points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to dismantle this right away, while your competitor is shifting their checkers home, taking into account that you don’t have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this situation!