Black – Pips 128 (+96)
Black to Play 4-5
When to Break a 6-Prime
Black – Pips 128 (+96)
Black to Play 4-5
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Bill Robertie
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Black – Pips 128 (+96)
Black to Play 4-5
Running off an Anchor
Black – Pips 89 (+22)
Black to Play 5-3
One-way holding games are, for the most part, pretty easy to play. You hold onto your anchor, watch your opponent try to clear points, wait for a shot, and then hopefully hit it. Alternatively, you roll a 6-6 or 5-5 somewhere in this process and move into a race where you’re close to even or maybe a little ahead.
Playing a Random 6 from the Bar
Black – Pips 168 (=)
Black to Play 6-2
This position shows a typically awkward moment in the early game. Black’s game is temporarily a little loose, and now he throws a 2-6 from the bar.
Sometimes a six from the bar will allow us to do something obvious and good, like hitting a blot or building a point. When we can’t do anything good, we’re usually faced with a choice among several unappetizing alternatives. That’s the case here. We have four legal sixes: 8/2, 13/7, 21/15, and 22/16. None look great, but we have to pick one. Let’s set up some guidelines and see if they can lead us to the least unappealing six.
Playing the Containment Game
Black – Pips 91 (+56)
Black to Play 2-1
A Tactic Against a Back Game
Black – Pips 122 (-68)
Black to Play 5-2
Playing a Busted Back Game
Black – Pips 186 (+109)
Black to Play 6-2
