In exceptionally general terms, there are three main game plans used. You must be agile enough to hop between strategies quickly as the course of the game unfolds.
The Blockade
This comprises of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at a minimum as thick as you are able to manage, to barricade in the opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most acceptable tactic at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your 2-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the game advances.
The Blitz
This involves locking your home board as quick as as you can while keeping your competitor on the bar. i.e., if your opponent rolls an early two and shifts one checker 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 eight/three eight/three. Your challenger is then in serious trouble since they have 2 checkers on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!
The Backgame
This strategy is where you have two or more pieces in your opponent’s home board. (An anchor spot is a point occupied by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The best areas for anchors are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on adjacent points or with a single point separating them. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: after all, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break up this right away, while your opponent is getting their pieces 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 might maintain your position until your challenger provides you an opportunity to hit, so it may be a wonderful idea to try and get your opponent to hit them in this case!