In exceptionally general terms, there are 3 chief game plans used. You must be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the course of the match unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you can manage, to lock in your opponent’s checkers that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most suitable strategy at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then move it into your home board as the game continues.
The Blitz
This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your challenger rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time trouble seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your home board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at least 2 of your pieces.) It would be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your circumstances. The best areas for anchor spots are near your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for an effective 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 up this straight away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, owing to the fact that you do not have any other additional checkers to move! In this situation, it’s more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to preserve your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your opposer to get them in this case!