
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.

"I've just finished Chapter 6 of Volume II. I must say that if you aren't the greatest BG player who ever lived, you certainly are the greatest writer. It's not even close. Your explanations are so clear and logical that anyone can and will improve by studying them."
A practical way to become a winner at backgammon is to glean instruction from the best players. Some of the backgammon world’s highest awards have written books to assist players both novice and advanced.
A good book by a backgammon expert can provide game-changing information at a reasonable price which players (and would-be players) can absorb at their own pace. The Gammon Press store stocks essential reads by Bill Robertie and Kit Woolsey, along with the works of Bob Wachtel, Peter Bell and others. If you want to improve your backgammon game, this is the place to start.
Use the form to search books, blogs, and resources.


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




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.