Rules

Forum Archive : Rules

 
Bearing off question

From:   Colin Wiel
Address:   colin@milo.com
Date:   12 July 2000
Subject:   Rules Question: Bearing Off
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   smq8251vnd668@corp.supernews.com

I am x, and I am almost done bearing off, with the following board:

|o o o o o o| |. . . . . o|
|o o o o o o| |           |
|          o| |           |
|           | |           |
|           | |           |
|           | |           |
|           | |           |
|           | |           |
|           | |           |
|  x        | |           |
|o x . x . .| |. . . . . .|

I roll a 4-1.  In order not to leave a piece open, I want to move the piece
on the 4-spot to the 3-spot (using up my 1), then move that piece off
(using up my 4).  My opponent claims that that is illegal, and that I need
to move the maximum number of points possible, moving the man on the 4-spot
off, then moving a 1 from the 2-spot to the 1 spot, bumping his piece (and
thus giving him the chance to bump me back).  Who is right?

Thanks,

- Colin

Pollax  writes:

You most definitely are Colin - you can play either number first as long as
you eventually play both. If only one can be played then it must be the
higher of the two.

Dave Slayton  writes:

yes, totally legal....it LOOKS illegal cuz it "wastes" pips...but there's
nothing in the rules that says you must squeeze every pip possible out of
each roll, only that you move men for each die if you possibly can...but
there is no restriction on which of them you move first...
 
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Rules

Bearing off question  (Colin Wiel+, July 2000) 
Can a beaver be dropped?  (Robert-Jan Veldhuizen+, Mar 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
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Is stalemate possible?  (Jan Andrew Bloxham+, July 1995) 
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Jacoby rule ambiguity?  (Chuck Bower+, Mar 2011) 
Jacoby rule--Good or bad?  (neilkaz+, May 2006) 
Legal roll  (Sture Lifh+, July 2004) 
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Moving checkers unambiguously  (Timothy Chow+, Oct 2009) 
Moving checkers with two hands  (Michael Strato+, June 2000) 
Must a hit checker be placed on the bar?  (Dani+, May 2006) 
Pick and pass and bearing off  (SimonW+, Jan 2005) 
Play cubeless at 2away/2away?  (Raccoon+, Oct 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Repairing an illegal play  (Michael J. Zehr, Apr 1995) 
Resigning  (Bob Lang+, Aug 2002) 
Rolling on wrong side of board  (Ian Shaw+, Aug 2004)  [GammOnLine forum] [Long message]
Rolling on wrong side of board  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1999) 
Rolling on wrong side of board  (Kit Woolsey, Sept 1998) 
Rolling on wrong side of board  (Bob Hoey, Apr 1998) 
Rolling too soon  (TonyM+, Feb 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Rolling too soon  (Stephen Turner, Feb 1998) 
Rolling too soon  (James Grenier+, Sept 1996) 
Talking during play  (EdmondT+, Dec 2000) 
Touch-move rule in backgammon?  (Ken Bame+, Nov 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Touch-move rule in backgammon?  (Austefjord+, May 2002) 
U.S. backgammon tournament rules  (Butch Meese, Nov 1997)  [Long message]
When do you give up your chance to double?  (Paul Epstein+, July 2005) 
When is a move over?  (JP White, May 2000) 
Overview  (Daniel Murphy, Apr 2001) 

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