In very general terms, there are 3 main techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at least as thick as you might achieve, to block in the competitor’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable tactic at the begining of the game. You can build the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This consists of locking your home board as fast as possible while keeping your opponent on the bar. For example, if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your three-point and you then toss a five-five, you can play six/one 6/1 eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is now in big-time calamity considering that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inner board!
The Backgame
This tactic is where you have 2 or higher anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a position filled by at least two of your pieces.) It needs to be used when you are significantly behind as it greatly improves your circumstances. The best locations for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s lower points and also on adjacent points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: at the end of the day, there is no point having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own inner board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your opponent is getting their checkers home, considering that you don’t have any other spare checkers to shift! In this situation, it is better to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up till your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it will be an excellent idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this case!