Cash game. White owns the cube. White on roll.
White to play 5-3.
A lot of backgammon positions are pretty simple: the right play is either forced or completely obvious. Many others involve a clear decision between two very different alternatives. These problems may be hard to solve, but at least the choices are clear.
Some positions, however, involve a lot of possible plays, all of which are somewhat reasonable. These positions can be very tricky, and one of the dangers is overlooking the best play altogether while sorting through the wealth of possibilities. Be alert, and try to enumerate all the plays before starting to rank them.
Take a look at this position. Here’s a choppy-looking block against block game, in which neither side is particularly satisfied with their position. Black’s not likely to fill in his 4-point, while White has big gaps on his 4-point and 5-point. 53 is not an especially good shot for White, although he can try a few different things. What to do?
Let’s consider some of the plays that come to mind.
> 24/16 is a really bad idea. White’s 34 pips down in the race, so trying to disengage isn’t a super plan to begin with. And suddenly some really bad shots for Black become great attacking numbers – 51, 65 and the like. Throw this idea out.
> 24/21 6/1* is also bad. White is now very vulnerable, with a weak board and three exposed blots. Even if Black dances, White has a ton of work to do.
> 9/6 8/3 is safe, but that’s about all. White’s still way behind in the race, and now his front game looks like it will never come together.
> 9/4 7/4 is better – White swaps the 7-point for the more valuable 4-point, and his position becomes a lot less awkward. But filling in the 5-point or the 7-point is now quite unlikely, so White’s game after this move is probably as good as it gets.
If White stops his analysis here, he’ll likely play 9/4 7/4. Not bad, but he won’t even have considered the best play!
The right idea is 9/4 8/5, the hyper-aggressive double-slot! White seizes his last chance to get a really strong position. Suddenly the pressure is on Black to throw a three or a four immediately. If not, White’s position will suddenly improve to a 5-prime or even a 6-prime, and Black will be squeezed and crumbling. Even if Black does hit, White now has a pretty good ace-point game with reasonable timing. The double-slot loses a few extra gammons, but picks up a new win for every gammon it loses. It’s the clear first choice.
