Which backgame is best always depends on your opponent's position and your
"timing", which for backgame purposes means your ability to play your rolls
without breaking up the high points in your home board. Far more often
than not, the 1-3 will be better than the 1-2. Other good backgames are
the 2-3, 2-4, and sometimes the 3-4. I don't care much for the 1-4 but
others may disagree. Almost nobody likes the 1-5.
I even like the 2-5 when the timing is kind of shaky, since you can leave
the 5 point if you have to. That doesn't mean you can take a double in
that case, of course. And I suspect that Snowie doesn't like your backgames
for this reason--too little timing to make them work. Why risk getting
gammoned because of all those men you have back, if you are likely to have
squashed your board by the time you hit something?
I don't have Snowie, but if I did, I would try this experiment: Set up
some of the positions where it told you to pass the backgames, and
gradually add more pips to your position by removing checkers from your
lower home board points and putting them on your midpoint, 8 point, etc.
Maybe add one to the 22 point also, if you are playing a 1-3 backgame.
Leave your 5 point made if you have it. Unless there is something else
wrong with the position, such as his having several checkers off already or
an exceptionally easy bear-in and bear-off, I expect you will find it
eventually thinks you have a take.
Mary Hickey
mamabear on FIBS and GG
|