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Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 basic tactics used. You must be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most acceptable procedure at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This consists of closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. i.e., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opposer is then in serious dire straits taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least 2 of your checkers.) It would be employed when you are decidedly behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The best locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with a single point in between. Timing is critical for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to dismantle this straight away, while your competitor is getting their pieces home, because you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!