Bill Robertie

How to Play the Opening in Backgammon Part 1 now available

Mar 15, 2020 | Backgammon Books

I’m pleased to announce that my new book, How to Play the Opening in Backgammon, Part 1, has been published and is available for purchase here at the Gammon Press. To order, click here.

Robertie How to Play The book is built around the kinds of typical choices that players face in the opening part of the game. For example: you throw a number that can be used to make the 5-point or the 20-point. Which point do you make? You throw a number that can make the 20-point or hit in the outfield. What’s right? A few opening plays are forced, but the non-forced plays boil down to choices like this. How do you make these decisions?

Unfortunately for people just learning the game, choices like this can’t be reduced to simple slogans like “When in doubt, make the 20-point.” When a real choice exists for an opening play, the answer will hinge on a number of factors which in varying degree will be contributing to the ultimate decision. Here are some of the ideas that bear on opening decisions:

> What’s the race? A significant racing lead favors plays that don’t leave blots and plays that contribute to escaping the back checkers. Trailing in the race favors plays that maximize contact.

> Does one play make a point? A point is an asset that may last a long time. During every turn that you hold a point is a turn where that point is restricting some of your opponent’s rolls. For a point-making play not to be best, the alternative needs to create some powerful assets or reduce some major liability.

> Has your opponent made a blocking point? If so, splitting rises in value.

> Do you have a stripped outside point? If so, adding a spare will increase its value.

> Do you have a stacked point? Unstacking it will improve your position.

These and other ideas will factor into the decision-making for any non-forced play.

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I’ve had a number of requests to show the Table of Contents for Part 1, so here it is.

Chapter 1: The Opening Move

Chapter 2: The Reply to the Opening Move

Chapter 3: The 5-Point
3.1 The 5-Point or the 20-Point?
3.2 The 5-Point or the 21-Point?
3.3 The 5-Point or the 4-Point?
3.4 The 5-Point or the 3-Point?
3.5 The 5-Point or an Outside Point?
3.6 The 5-Point or the 7-Point?
3.7 Make the 5-Point, Breaking the 7 or 8-Point?
3.8 The 5-Point or Some Other Improvement?
3.9 Make the 5-Point or Hit Somewhere? – 1
3.10 Make the 5-Point or Hit Somewhere? – 2
3.11 Make the 5-Point or Hit Two Checkers?

Chapter 4: The 20-Point
4.1 The 20-Point or the 4-Point?
4.2 The 20-Point or the 9-Point?
4.3 Make the 20-Point or Hit? – 1
4.4 Make the 20-Point or Hit? – 2

Chapter 5: The 4-Point
5.1 Make the 4-Point or Hit?
5.2 Make the 4-Point or Double-Hit?
5.3 Make the 4-Point or a Good Anchor?
5.4 Make the 4-point, Breaking the 8-Point?

The opening in backgammon is a big subject, and trying to fit it all into a single book would have been too unwieldy. The book will appear in three parts, spaced about three months apart. Look for Part 2 sometime in June.

Movie Recommendation

Mar 1, 2020 | Backgammon Generally

Stuck indoors in these trying times? Cabin fever starting to close in? Getting uncomfortable watching The Andromeda Strain and too scared to watch the market?

For a change of pace with a backgammon theme, try watch a little-known but unexpectedly charming film called The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner. If you can’t find it on a streaming service, Amazon usually has it in stock. You won’t regret it.

Priming a Back Game

Feb 15, 2020 | Backgammon Problems: Back Games

White – Pips 175 (+65)

Black – Pips 110 (-65)
Black to Play 3-2
The lesson of this position is simple: don’t make blocking points against a back game unless there’s some chance of actually blocking your opponent.

Playing a Bad Back Game

Feb 1, 2020 | Backgammon Problems: Back Games

White – Pips 136 (-27)

Black – Pips 163 (+27)
Black to Play 5-4
Back games are, in my view, the most interesting category of backgammon positions. Obvious plays are often wrong and counter-intuitive plays abound. Some real insight and experience are often needed to find your way to the right play.

This position is not an especially difficult problem, although most players will get it right for the wrong reason.

Playability

Jan 15, 2020 | Backgammon Problems: Middle Game

White – Pips 123 (+7)

Black – Pips 116 (-7)
Black to Play 3-2
This position comes from the late middle game. White is on the bar without an anchor, falling behind in the race and in some danger of being closed out. Meanwhile Black has a couple of checkers stuck behind a 4-prime. Black needs to escape but he needs to close his board as well, so he’s under constant pressure each turn to get something done.

When to Break a 6-Prime

Jan 1, 2020 | Post-Ace-Point Games

White – Pips 32 (-96)

Black – Pips 128 (+96)
Black to Play 4-5In our blog post of November 15 we discussed the various stages of a containment game, and outlined some rules for guiding your play. Leading off the rules was an important one: Don’t break your 6-prime!