In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 main game plans employed. You must be able to hop between tactics almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This consists of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you can manage, to barricade in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anyplace inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then move it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This is composed of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you will be able to play 6/1 six/one 8/3 eight/three. Your competitor is then in big-time dire straits since they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This course of action is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It needs to be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan greatly improves your circumstances. The better locations for anchors are near your opponent’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is important for a competent backgame: after all, there is no point having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break apart this straight away, while your opposer is moving their pieces home, taking into account that you don’t have any other spare checkers to move! In this situation, it’s better to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it may be an excellent idea to try and get your competitor to hit them in this situation!