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Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In extraordinarily general terms, there are 3 chief techniques employed. You need to be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to achieve, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate procedure at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the game progresses.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early two and moves one piece from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opposer is then in big-time trouble since they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or more checkers in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It should be played when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best locations for anchors are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your opposer gives you a chance to hit, so it may be a great idea to try and get your opponent to get them in this case!