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Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In exceptionally simple terms, there are three fundamental techniques employed. You need to be agile enough to hop between game plans quickly as the action of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is comprised of creating a 6-thick wall of pieces, or at least as deep as you are able to achieve, to block in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most acceptable strategy at the begining of the match. You can create the wall anywhere inbetween your eleven-point and your two-point and then shuffle it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opponent on the bar. e.g., if your opponent rolls an early two and moves 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 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious difficulty taking into account that they have 2 pieces on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This tactic is where you have two or higher anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point consisting of at a minimum 2 of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are decidedly behind as this action greatly improves your opportunities. The better locations for anchor spots are close to your competitor’s lower points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a powerful backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no reason having two nice anchor spots and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break apart this right away, while your competitor is moving their checkers home, because you do not have any other spare checkers to shift! In this case, it is more favorable to have checkers on the bar so that you can preserve your position up until your opponent provides you an opportunity to hit, so it can be a good idea to attempt and get your competitor to get them in this situation!