Opening Rolls

Forum Archive : Opening Rolls

 
Opening 63: Middle Eastern split?

From:   Mark
Address:   irentem@ix.netcom.com
Date:   1 April 2002
Subject:   Re: 6 3 opener
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   a8b86h$9am$1@slb2.atl.mindspring.net

I'm going to cement my status as an novice here.  How foolish
is this move with an opening 6 3?

24/18 24/21

I usually get hit, but only on one blot. Often, when I get hit,
my opponent leaves a blot. I can often hit that when I'm
coming off the bar, and now I have the pip advantage, as I
entered from where I started, but my opponent is starting
back in my home board.

If my opponent roll doubles, or I cannot re-enter with a funky
2nd. roll, I'm in trouble, but with very little defense to
stop me this early in the game, I usually take an advantage.

Flawed?

Mark

Ryan Long  writes:

I think this is called the 'middle Eastern split,' or something to that
effect.  It used to be popular.

Your opponent wants to hit you on the 21.  He doesn't want to hit you on
the 24.  You've already moved one of your back checkers out to the 18,
and you've got good coverage on that point from the 24 should your
opponent hit you loose.  Why not do something else good for your
position rather than moving the other back checker?  If you move 13/10,
you've got a new builder on offense.

I'm no expert, but that's why I don't play the move you've described.

Daniel Hollis  writes:

First, I want to point out that only 55 and 35 miss, so it's almost
always that you get hit.  And you will get hit twice a lot more than
you think.  I love it when my oppoent does this, because a double hit
is so powerful.  Count the number of rolls that miss hitting twice.  I
get 32, 34, 35, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55.  That's 21/36 double hits.

A big problem with getting hit is that you allow your opponent to slot
a key point.  And if he hits back on your 4 point, then it's only a
single shot from the bar; other inner board hits are ususally shots
from the bar+24 point.

Once your opponent attacks one of these men, then the second man
becomes a piece of cheese, still sitting on a point your opponent
would like.  If you missed your return shot, that's awful.  Your
opponent is moving his checkers into attack position, and meanwhile
you're stuck on his 4 or bar point.  You can alternatively spend the
first 4 dice of your game throwing your back checkers into your
opponent's outfield.  Either choice stinks.
 
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Opening Rolls

At different match scores  (Louis Nardy Pillards, July 2002) 
Average advantage of winning opening roll  (Chuck Bower, Oct 1998) 
Choosing a strategy  (Daniel Murphy, June 2001) 
Early game rule of thumb  (Rich Munitz, Feb 2009) 
Factors to consider  (Kit Woolsey, July 1994) 
How computers play  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1995)  [Recommended reading]
Magriel's Chapter 5  (Hayden Alfano+, May 2006)  [Long message]
Mloner vs Jellyfish  (Kit Woolsey, Dec 1995) 
Nactating a whole game  (Nack Ballard+, Jan 2011)  [Long message]
Nactation  (Jim Stutz+, June 2010) 
Nactation overview  (Nack Ballard, Oct 2009) 
Nactation--Why use it?  (leobueno+, Jan 2011) 
Opening 1's: Split or slot?  (Douglas Zare, Dec 2003) 
Opening 21: Rollout  (Stick, Mar 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 21: Split or slot?  (Dick Adams+, Dec 2003) 
Opening 32: Rollout  (Stick, Feb 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: In GOL online match  (Raccoon+, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: Pros and cons  (Stick+, Jan 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 43: Which split is better?  (Peter Backgren+, Aug 2000) 
Opening 43: Which split is better?  (Michael J. Zehr+, Mar 1996) 
Opening 51: Rollout  (Stick, Feb 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 52: Merits of splitting  (Peter Bell, Apr 1995) 
Opening 53: Magriel's recommendation  (George Parker+, July 1997)  [Long message]
Opening 53: Split to 21?  (Alex Zamanian, Aug 2000) 
Opening 53: Why make the three point?  (Kit Woolsey+, Feb 1996) 
Opening 6's: Slot the bar point?  (Chuck Bower+, Feb 2000) 
Opening 6's: Slot the bar point?  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 
Opening 62: Could running be best?  (Gary Wong, Sept 1997) 
Opening 62: Split, run, or slot?  (Chuck Bower, May 1997) 
Opening 63: Middle Eastern split?  (Mark+, Apr 2002) 
Opening 63: Slot the four point?  (Dennis Cartwright+, Mar 2002) 
Opening 64: Make the two point?  (William Hill+, Jan 1998) 
Opening 64: Make the two point?  (Darse Billings, Feb 1995) 
Opening 64: Rollout  (Peter Grotrian, Jan 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Opening 64: Split to 20?  (Peter Bell, June 1995) 
Opening 64: Three choices  (Brian Sheppard, July 1997) 
Opening 65: Becker on lover's leap  (Jeffrey Spiegler+, Aug 1991) 
Opening 65: Computer rankings  (Chuck Bower, Jan 1997) 
Opening rolls ranked  (Arthur+, Apr 2005) 
Rollouts of opening 21 and replies  (Alexander Nitschke, Oct 1997) 
Rollouts of openings  (Tom Keith+, Jan 2006) 
Rollouts: Expert Backgammon  (Tom Fahland, Aug 1994) 
Rollouts: Jellyfish 3.0  (Midas+, Sept 1997) 
Rollouts: Jellyfish 3.0 level 6  (Chuck Bower, Feb 1999)  [Recommended reading]
Rollouts: Snowie 4.1  (Rene Cerutti, Apr 2004) 
Slotting the four point  (Joe Loria+, Oct 1999) 
Snowie's openers and replies  (rcerutti, Feb 1999)  [Long message]
Splitting versus building  (Dave Slayton+, Aug 2000) 
Splitting versus slotting  (Daniel Murphy, Apr 2001) 
Splitting versus slotting  (Daniel Murphy, Sept 1997) 
Trice's rankings  (Marty Storer, Feb 1992) 

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