In exceptionally simple terms, there are three main game plans employed. You want to be agile enough to switch techniques almost instantly as the action of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This involves building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you are able to achieve, to barricade in your competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere within your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game progresses.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quickly as possible while keeping your opposer on the bar. e.g., if your opponent tosses an early two and shifts one piece from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a 5-5, you can play 6/1 six/one 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is then in big-time difficulty due to the fact that they have two checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inner board!
The Backgame
This plan is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a position consisting of at least two of your pieces.) It would be employed when you are extremely behind as it greatly improves your opportunities. The strongest places for anchor spots are towards your competitor’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with a single point in between. Timing is crucial for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there is no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own home board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opposer is shifting their pieces home, owing to the fact that you don’t have any other spare pieces to shift! In this situation, it is more tolerable to have pieces on the bar so that you might maintain your position until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a good idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!