|
Annotated Game
|
No Defense to the Backgame?
David Leibowitz and Elliott Winslow, 1981
Las Vegas Backgammon Magazine, June 1981
How do you beat a backgame? Your opponent owns two points in your board, so you can't close him out. Therefore, you make a prime to force his game to crash — but what if his timing is just too good? A novel approach was seen in a match played in Boston by two of New York's superstars, Al Hodis and Erik Seidel. The key was: if you can't defend, then attack!
BSO Benefit, Boston, April 1980
Round 5, 17 points
Game 13
(Black trails 7–11. Match to 17.)
|
|  Al Hodis
|  Erik Seidel
|
| 2.
| . . .
| 6-5: bar/20, 11/5
|
Bar/20, 13/7 might be more flexible.
| 3.
| . . .
| 3-1: bar/24, 13/10*
|
Controversial, but playing vs. one man back.
| 4.
| . . .
| 6-3: bar/22, 8/2*
|
Tempo.
A classic catch-up match double. Note that both the gammon and the redouble leverage work for Hodis.
| 6.
| 5-2: bar/23*, 20/15*
| 6-3: bar/22
|
| 7.
| 4-3: 8/5, 13/9
| 3-2: bar/23, 13/10*
|
So far both players have fought severely for the key points; Hodis trying to force a prime, Seidel trying to make a timing anchor.
| 8.
| 5-5: bar/15*/10, 13/8
| 3-2: bar/23, 24/21
|
Incredible! Hodis forgoes the obvious prime, looking for more action. At first we thought he'd "missed the point"; who wouldn't play 13/7, 10/7? But consider for a moment — Hodis makes the bar, Seidel makes the twenty-one point, and the spares on the six and eight points lose positional value.
So what happens? As a result of Erik's tactics and the unfortunate 5-5, Hodis is moving too fast, so logically he tries to slow down. (Jason would make this play.)
How embarrassing!
| 10.
| 2-2: 11/7, 9/7, 6/4
| 6-1: bar/24, 13/7
|
A good play. Seidel keeps his most forward point, at the same time returning a checker to play.
A tremendously complicated situation, which literally encompasses the whole range of attacking an established backgame. Consider the following plays, from gross to refined:
- 11/2*. Still trying to close him out?
- 13/7, 13/8. Let him play his large doubles this time!
- 13/9*/4 or 13/9*, 11/6 or 13/9*, 13/8. Prime that checker out of his timing.
- 11/2*. If he hits us we recirculate; if not we see what happens.
- 13/9*, 7/2*. Hodis on overdrive! His major theme is to knock Erik out of action while he bears in; his secondary theme is to overtime Seidel so he can hopefully withstand getting hit later. Should he get hit with a 2 his position is flexible enough to remake the bar point, again playing for the prime and the crash. Note that Hodis's play, 13/9*, 7/2*, is also the best gammon play, especially significant at this score. This play is one of the very best plays we've seen in backgame attack.
Stacking the weak point for the bear off vs. a 1-3 backgame.
Play to hit everything!
| 16.
| 3-1: 8/7*/4
| 6-4: (dance)
|
| 17.
| . . .
| 6-1: bar/24, 22/16*
|
Deep in a backgame, Erik tries to speed up.
| 18.
| . . .
| 3-3: 8/5(2), 6/3(2)
|
A fine play, establishing a threat he'll need later.
| 19.
| 5-1: 21/16, 5/4
| 2-1: 24/22, 7/6
|
| 21.
| 6-5: 6/off, 5/off
| 3-2: 12/9, 6/4
|
| 22.
| 4-1: 6/5, 6/2
| 3-1: 9/5
|
| 23.
| 3-2: 5/off
| 6-5: 24/13
|
| 24.
| . . .
| 2-2: 13/9, 6/4, 5/3
|
This would show finesse if it weren't just wrong in this particular instance! Moving 24/22, 13/7 is alright, since you don't need the spare on the twenty-four point and will have ample time to clear the twenty-two point should you need to leave him an ace.
Everyone seems to agree this is right, yet we can't find reason not to take the 2 off (except for aesthetics).
| 26.
| 4-2: 4/off, 2/off
| 6-3: 24/18, 9/6
|
| 27.
| 4-2: 4/off, 2/off
| 6-4: 18/12, 11/7
|
| 28.
| 6-3: 5/off, 5/2
| 2-2: 22/20*/14
|
Hopeless! 12/7, 14/13 is clear, with no explanation!
| 30.
| 6-1: bar/18
| 6-5: 12/7*, 24/18
|
|
|
|
|
Should White
redouble to 4?
|
Opinion seems divided here; we tend to agree with the recube.
| 32.
| TAKE
| 6-2: 14/12, 7/1*
|
| 33.
| . . .
| 1-1: 22/21*, 12/9
|
This is actually a mistake! Correct is 22/21*, 3/1 all, for two reasons: all covers are closer (note that 15's and 18's cover), but more important, should Hodis make the three-point he'll be forced to leave it, and even large doubles don't necessarily make him a favorite.
| 34.
| . . .
| 6-1: 21/20, 9/3
|
9/3, 18/17 gains on 4-4 and 5-5. (9/3, 2/1 is even better.)
| 35.
| 2-1: bar/24*
| 5-3: bar/22, 18/13
|
| 36.
| 4-1: bar/24
| 6-1: 22/21, 20/14
|
| 37.
| 1-1: 2/1*(4)
| 5-5: bar/5
|
| 38.
| 3-1: (blocked)
| 5-3: 14/6
|
| 39.
| 4-3: (blocked)
| 5-1: 21/15
|
| 40.
| 5-1: (blocked)
| 6-3: 13/7, 15/12
|
| 41.
| 4-2: (blocked)
| 3-2: 7/2
|
| 42.
| 6-5: 24/13*
| 4-3: bar/22, 5/1*
|
| 43.
| 6-3: (dance)
| 4-3: 22/15
|
| 44.
| 5-1: bar/24*, 13/8
| 3-1: bar/22, 2/1*
|
| 45.
| 2-1: bar/24*, 8/6
| 6-2: bar/19*, 3/1*
|
| 46.
| . . .
| 4-4: bar/17, 15/7
|
Again, it seems right to shift.
| 47.
| 5-2: (dance)
| 6-4: 7/1*, 17/13
|
| 48.
| 6-4: (dance)
| 5-2: 6/1, 13/11
|
| 49.
| (closed out)
| 4-2: 19/17, 22/18
|
| 50.
| (closed out)
| 3-1: 17/16, 18/15
|
| 51.
| (closed out)
| 4-2: 15/13, 16/12
|
| 52.
| (closed out)
| 5-2: 11/9, 13/8
|
| 53.
| (closed out)
| 2-1: 9/6
|
| 54.
| (closed out)
| 5-1: 12/7, 6/5
|
| 55.
| . . .
| 5-5: 8/3, 7/2, 6/1(2)
|
Oops.
| 56.
| . . .
| 5-4: 5/off, 5/1
|
Oops again.
| 57.
| 4-2: (dance)
| 5-3: 5/off, 3/off
|
| 58.
| 5-4: bar/20
| 4-1: 4/off, 4/3
|
| 59.
| 6-6: bar/13, 20/8
| 2-2: 2/off(3), 3/1
|
| 60.
| 3-2: 13/10, 8/6
| 2-1: 3/off
|
|
|
|
|
Should Black
redouble to 8?
|
15 to 7 is no score to play a seventeen-point match from. A marginal favorite, Hodis whips it to 8, simply having less to lose than to gain. An easy take.
| 62.
| 5-3: 10/5, 6/3
| 5-1: 3/off, 1/off
|
| 63.
| 3-3: 5/off, 3/off, 1/off
| 6-4: 1/off(2)
|
A blessed Al Hodis won the game to lead 15–11, and won the match on the next game. An extemely well-played sixty-four move backgame. We should play so good!