Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In extraordinarily simple terms, there are three fundamental plans used. You need to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to block in the competitor’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match continues.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. For example, if your challenger tosses an early two and moves one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious calamity taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or higher checkers in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The strongest locations for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s lower points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for an effective backgame: after all, there’s no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is shifting their checkers home, seeing that you do not have any other extra checkers to move! In this situation, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up till your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this case!