Bill Robertie's Blog

Bill Robertie welcomes the opportunity to share his knowledge of backgammon with experienced players and beginners alike.

On his blog, Robertie publishes set and equipment reviews, creates quiz contests and provides free lessons. He would be remiss not to include his Robertie’s Rules! He also educates readers of the Gammon Press blog on the history of the game, offers backgammon instruction and more.

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Playing a Deuce-Point Game

Aug 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Ace and Deuce-Point Games

White – Pips 136 (+23)

Black – Pips 113 (-23)
Black on roll. Cube action?
In this position, White has been reduced to a deuce-point game, and Black is in the process of bringing his men home and trapping White behind a prime. Black’s made a lot of progress, but there are still a few hurdles to overcome:

> Black’s open 3-point needs to be filled in before he starts his bearoff.

> The open 7-point is a small nuisance.

> Black still has to clear the 16-point.

Are all these problems serious enough to stop Black from doubling? Or is the 2-point game so weak that White already has a pass? Before we answer these questions, let’s take a little look at the structure of the 2-point game itself.

Saving a Weak Back Game

Jul 15, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Back Games

White – Pips 75 (-71)

Black – Pips 146 (+71)
Black to Play 4-4

Black has been playing a 1-5 back game (probably the weakest of all back game formations) and now faces a roll that messes up his plans even further. With a 4-4 to play, he has to sacrifice something. He can move off the 24-point, move off the 20-point with one or both men, or try to keep both back game points and play entirely on his side of the board. Nothing is really appetizing, but he needs to make the best of a bad situation.

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.

5-Prime versus 5-Prime

Apr 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Priming Games

White – Pips 105 (-10)

Black – Pips 115 (+10)
Black to Play 2-1This problem shows us one of the most interesting middle game positions possible: both sides have a 5-prime, and neither side has an anchor. The play will be razor-sharp, and gammons will be floating in the air for both Black and White.

What are the goals in these positions? Here’s what the players are trying to do, arranged roughly in order of importance:
read more…

Gino Scalamandre – A Remembrance

Mar 16, 2019 | Backgammon Generally

Gino Scalamandre passed away last month at the age of 87. Gino was a member of the very first group of backgammon giants who dominated the game in the 1960s and 1970s, along with players like Tim Holland, Oswald Jacoby, and Joe Dwek. Gino was a fixture at all the big international tournaments of that era and won many. In the first ‘unofficial’ listing of the world’s best players in a 1972 issue of Harper’s, Gino was securely in the top 10.

When to Make an Early Double

Mar 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Early Game

White – Pips 173 (+38)

Black – Pips 135 (-38)
Black on roll. Cube action?Proper doubles in the very early stages of the game are somewhat unusual. It takes some time to build an advantage strong enough to turn the cube. Most correct early doubles come from blitz positions, where one side rolls a quick double, makes a couple of inner-board points, and catches his opponent on the bar. Here the attacker gets enough gammon chances to compensate for the fact that he still doesn’t have a big positional edge.

Creating Checkers to Move

Feb 15, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Middle Game

White – Pips 134 (-1)

Black – Pips 135 (+1)
Black to Play 5-3

This problem isn’t difficult, but it contains some interesting points. The right play is just 21/13. Remaking the midpoint creates a fluid, well-connected position that’s relatively easy to play compared to alternatives. Black has chances to make the 3-point, and some other rolls that make the bar-point. He gets some outfield coverage in case White’s next roll is 6-3 or 6-4. He blocks White’s best roll, 6-6, turning it from a game-changer into merely a good shot.

Taking Risks in a Holding Game

Feb 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Holding Game

(A) Black to play 5-1.

White – Pips 148 (-5)

Black – Pips 153 (+5)
Black to Play 5-1Problem A shows a routine position in an early holding game. Both sides have an anchor, and the race is very close. Black’s position is slightly preferable since more of his checkers are arrayed in front of White’s anchor, and he therefore has better chances of establishing a blockade.

Offering Early Doubles

Jan 15, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Early Game

When should you double in the very early part of the game? How soon is too soon? Let’s take a look.

White – Pips 170 (+17)

Black – Pips 153 (-17)
Black on roll. Cube action?
read more…

Play Safe or Play for the Gammon?

Jan 1, 2019 | Backgammon Problems: Endgames

White – Pips 78 (+19)

Black – Pips 59 (-19)
Black to Play 4-1

Back at World Cup VI, in 1998, Kent Goulding and I introduced a ‘Quizgammon’ contest, consisting of a set of 30 problems taken from all phases of the game. Everyone who was interested paid an entry fee of $20 and sat down for an hour with their problems and answer sheet. After everyone handed in their solutions, Kent and I went over the answers and announced the winners. The event was an instant success. Players really liked the idea of matching wits, with the luck of the dice finally and thoroughly removed.

Attacking a Back Game

Dec 15, 2018 | Backgammon Problems: Back Games

White – Pips 206 (+83)

Black – Pips 123 (-83)
Black to Play 6-5

This problem is taken from a game in the Athens finals between Billy Horan and I in 1994. (Billy was White, I was Black.) The game was early in the match and the score wasn’t relevant, so I’ve recast it as a cash game position.