In astonishingly simple terms, there are three basic strategies used. You want to be agile enough to hop between techniques quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might achieve, to barricade in the opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most adequate tactic at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the match progresses.
The Blitz
This involves closing your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early two and moves one checker from your 1-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one six/one eight/three 8/3. Your challenger is now in big-time trouble seeing that they have two pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a position occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your chances. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having two nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your competitor is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might maintain your position up until your opposer gives you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your opposer to get them in this situation!