Here’s a pair of very similar positions that shows how an (apparently) small change in an early-game position can dramatically change your approach.
Cash game. White to play 5-1
Cash game. White to Play 5-1
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Bill Robertie
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Speed versus Structure
Cash game, center cube.
(a) Who is a favorite?
(b) White to play
5-2
4-1
2-1
6-5
Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.
Who is a favorite? And why is this, in fact, a problem?
Containing a Checker on the Bar
Cash game, White owns the cube.
White to play 3-2
Problem 176 is an example of a type of position that arises fairly frequently, especially at the tail end of a mutual holding game. Black probably held White’s 5-point for a while, then left either to hit a shot or to create a spare on the midpoint. White scores a lucky hit, and now Black is stuck on the bar against a 5-point board.
Mobility
Cash game, White owns the cube.
White to play 5-1
In backgammon, much of our thinking revolves around assets. What asset can we acquire with a given roll? What asset do we have to give up? One way to look at backgammon is as a series of decisions regarding the accumulation of assets, and the conversion of one asset into another.
Some assets are quasi-permanent, like inner-board points, or primes. Others are more ephemeral, like a racing lead, which can vanish with a single hit. We tend to prefer permanent assets to temporary assets when we have a choice, although usually we’re happy to get any kind of asset we can.
Action Doubles
Cash game, center cube.
Should White double? Should Black take if doubled?
This position is another example of our old friend, the “Action Double”. We’ve seen one of these before, in the blog post of September 1, 2023. Here’s a brief description of the conditions that create a good action double.
Five-Prime versus One Man Back
Cash game, Black owns the cube.
White to play 1-1.
In this position, White has escaped his back checkers, while Black has a single checker remaining in White’s board, behind a 5-prime. How these positions are conducted depends on whether Black has one man back or two men anchored.
