Backgammon Strategy--Backgames

Strategy--Backgames

Checker problem

From:   David Montgomery
Address:   monty@cs.umd.edu
Date:   22 May 1995
Subject:   Re: Backgame problem #3
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   3pp2ku$ose@twix.cs.umd.edu

p0439 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 ----------------------------------------------------- | X O O | | O O O X | | O O | | O | | O | | | | O | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | X | | X X | | O O X X | | X X | | O O O X X | | X X X X | |_______________________|___|_______________________| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 X needs 8, O needs 8. O owns cube on 2. X to play 6-3. Thanks to Kit Woolsey, Bill Bohn, Toni Wuersch, and Dick King for commenting on the above problem. Kit and Bill like making the bar point, by a lot, over any other play. Toni favors 12/6 11/8. Dick likes 24/15*. This came up in a match between me and Mel Leifer at this year's Beltway Backgammon Club Spring Open. Over the board, I played 24/15*. I only considered that play and making the bar. Now I like making the bar better, but I'm not 100% convinced yet. Toni argues for the blot saving play because he doesn't want to end up with 2 back, which is reasonable, but I think making the bar point has to be superior to this. After making the bar, 4 numbers hit an outfield blot (5-2, 5-3, 6-2, and 6-3), and after 12/6 11/8, 4 numbers still hit the lone outfield blot (6-5, 6-4, 6-3, and 5-4). Its true that after making the bar you have an additional blot, but you also have much greater containment. And although the bar point may eventually become a liability, I think its for right now its a big asset. 24/15* makes certain that X won't get stuck behind O's blockade with a series of bad rolls, and practically ensures that O won't win going forward. On the other hand, it helps O's timing, gives O a chance to make the 23 point, and forgoes the valuable barpoint. If anyone locally (I know Mel and Joe Freedman read this newsgroup) wants to play a short prop on this, I'll take either play and play it for the educational value. David Montgomery monty on FIBS

Moishe Steigmann writes:

I would posit a different tactic. In this game, X is in a lot of trouble. So, while O's inside board is still weak, he should be aggresive, with an 8/2* and 24/21. Taking on the 15 is a horrible idea -- you do not want O to make a three point backgame. Making an anchor on the bar is too late for this game since O has advanced anchors in X's home board. Worst case, after taking a the 2, if X gets hit, X has a chance to make his own anchor O's home board. And, X does not have to fear a double hit (barring doubles) because O is on the homeboard! Of course, if O fails to enter, then X also has a terrific shot at landing a second or even third blot in O's outfield. It's the best chance that X has at winning a game that is rapidly getting away.

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