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Bowl Streaker!

In very simple terms, there are three main strategies employed. You want to be agile enough to switch tactics quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as deep as you are able to manage, to barricade in your opponent’s checkers that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the match. 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 involves closing your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your competitor rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty seeing that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!

The Backgame

This course of action is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at a minimum 2 of your checkers.) It would be used when you are decidedly behind as this action much improves your circumstances. The strongest areas for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on adjoining points or with one point separating them. Timing is important for a powerful backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this straight away, while your challenger is moving their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other additional pieces to shift! In this case, it’s better to have checkers on the bar so that you might preserve your position up till your opposer provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a wonderful idea to attempt and get your competitor to hit them in this case!