Bill Robertie

Hit Twice or Not?

Jul 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Middle Game

White – Pips 145 (-15)

Black – Pips 160 (+15)
(a) Black to Play 6-3

White – Pips 145 (-21)

Black – Pips 166 (+21)
(b) Black to Play 6-3

White – Pips 145 (-10)

Black – Pips 155 (+10)
(c) Black to Play 6-3

Here we see three closely related positions. In each case, Black will enter with his three, hitting, after which he has to decide on the best play for his six. He can run out of White’s board (with either 22/16 or 21/15) or he can hit in his inner board with 9/3*, breaking his 9-point in the process. What we want to know is how, if at all, Black’s structure affects his choice of plays.

Bearing Off Against the Ace-Point

Jun 15, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Ace and Deuce-Point Games

White – Pips 87 (+45)

Black – Pips 42 (-45)
Black to Play 3-1

In this position White got stuck playing an ace-point game which didn’t go well for him. Now he’s lost his 6-point, and next turn he’ll either have to break his board or run off his anchor.

Meanwhile, Black is doing reasonably well. He’s cleared his 6-point and managed to bear off two checkers. The weakness in his position is the stripped 3-point, which might cause problems once the 5-point is cleared.

Doubling Weak Players in Tournaments

Jun 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Tournament Tips

White – Pips 4 (-2), Match -7 -3

Black – Pips 6 (+2), Match -3 -7
Black on roll. Cube action?
Black leads 4-0 in a 7-point match and owns a 2-cube.

(a) Assume you are Black, you are a very strong player, and you are playing another very strong player. Should Black double in this position? If Black doubles, should White take or drop?

(b) Same question, but now you are Black playing a weak player.

Backgammon Explained – Hit Loose or Make a Point?

May 15, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Early Game

White – Pips 160 (+3)

Black – Pips 157 (-3)
Black to Play 4-2
This is a fairly simple, but extremely important problem. At first glance, Black seems to have a lot of reasonable choices. Here’s a quick list, with a brief description of why each play might be appealing:

Middle Game Maneuvering

May 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Middle Game

White – Pips 143 (-53)

Black – Pips 196 (+53)
Black to Play 3-2
This position is taken from a game which began with a lot of hitting, but not much point-making. Both sides have now secured good anchors; Black also has the 22-point, so he has the making of a strong holding game. Each side has managed to add one outside point along the way. Black has his bar-point, while White has his 9-point. For good measure, White has built a 53-pip lead in the race.

What are the game plans going forward? White’s is pretty simple. He probably won’t be able to build an effective prime, so he needs to capitalize on his racing lead by scrambling his back checkers home, and the sooner the better. He’ll want to start with the checker on his 24-point, and then follow with the checkers on his 20-point. He’s not averse to building the low points in his board; the spares on his 6, 8, and 9-points don’t really have anywhere else to go, and a strong board might help him if he can hit a lucky shot.

How to Play a Proto-Backgame

Apr 17, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Back Games

White – Pips 175 (-42)

Black – Pips 217 (+42)
Black to Play 6-2

This position is an example of what I like to call the proto-backgame. Both sides have been busy whacking each other for a while, with the result that Black now has seven men back, and White has three. Neither side has managed to make either a new home-board point or a new blocking point, so each side is free to maneuver, and the cost of getting another man hit is very small. Now Black has a 6-2 to play from the bar. Clearly he’ll come in with Bar/23, after which he can choose among five legal sixes, none of which are absurd. It’s a tough problem, to be sure.