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Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In very general terms, there are three basic plans employed. You want to be able to switch game plans almost instantly as the action of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This involves creating a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you might manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable course of action at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your 11-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of locking your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. i.e., if your opposer tosses an early two and moves one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have two or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at least two of your pieces.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as it much improves your circumstances. The strongest places for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjoining points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for an effective backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchors and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is shifting their pieces home, because you don’t have any other additional checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a good idea to attempt and get your opposer to get them in this case!