In very general terms, there are three basic strategies used. You need to be agile enough to switch game plans instantly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-thick wall of checkers, or at a minimum as thick as you can manage, to barricade in your competitor’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate course of action at the begining of the match. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match continues.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as fast as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you are able to play six/one 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your opponent is now in serious calamity due to the fact that they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as this strategy greatly improves your circumstances. The strongest locations for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is shifting their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have other extra checkers to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position up until your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your opposer to hit them in this case!
March 7th, 2016
Makenzie
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