The Backgammon Learning Center

The score is 7away/7away, blue holds a 2-cube and is on roll.  What is the proper cube action?

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It is a redouble and a take.  Most people would drop this cube, but look at this game if Blue does not hit immediately.  Red will have a very strong game.  And if Blue does nit, Red will still have some game as a back game.

TIP OF THE DAY:  I dropped the cube above, and it was a big error.  I really didn’t understand how Red could have a take.  So I played the position out against XG about 20 times and began to clearly see the possibilities.  To me, that is the best way to truly understand a position where you were, at first, completely wrong.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “I don’t believe there is such a thing as luck in backgammon, but just to be safe, I do pray to the dice gods before every roll.”  –Phil Simborg

Red leads 3away/5away and is on roll, cube action?

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Answer:  No double/Take.  At this score, activating gammons is more than a double-edged sword…it works far better for the trailer.  The only good reason to double is the reason I did double (Phil), and that is, you might get a drop, which is exactly what happened.

TIP OF THE WEEK:  If you are on the fence about whether to double or not, it’s often right, especially if its a very complicated or volatile position and there is a reasonable chance your opponent might drop.  In this case, doubling is clearly wrong, but if you can get a drop 21% of the time, it’s not a bad gamble.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “I never wanted to be divorced.  I wanted to be a widow.”  –Nancy Simborg

Red to play 6-6

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Answer:  Don’t leave a shot.  If you don’t, next roll you double and he drops.  Why leave a shot that get’s hit once in a while, and when you get hit you don’t get to double?  Clearing the 13 point is clearly better, however, if the cube is turned and the game is going to play on.

TIP OF THE DAY:  Always consider how cube action affects your play.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t forget something.”  –Phil Simborg

Red (O’Hagan) holds a 2 cube and is on roll (vs. Sax).  Cube action?

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Answer.  The correct cube action is redouble/take.  John redoubled and Steve dropped.  And who can blame Steve…no one knows positions like this!

TIP OF THE DAY:  This is a wonderful position for Woolsey’s Law.  Once you put yourself in your opponent’s shoes and ask yourself if you are SURE this is a take or SURE it’s a drop, and you answer that you are not sure, then FOR SURE it is a double.  Now, this is also a great position for “Reverse Woolsey’s Law” (which I created by the way):  if you are given a cube and you are not SURE it is a double, then, FOR SURE you should take.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “What if you’re never sure of anything?”  –Paul Franks.

Red to play 3-2

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David Rockwell:  Hitting leaves many shots.  However, Blue is forming an effective partial prime in the outfield.   It is better to contest that space by hitting now rather than hold the bar anchor and face a stronger attack later.

BACKGAMMON TIP:  Hitting in the above position appears to be very risky.  There are immediate penalties if you get hit back and fail to come in.  It is very clear how badly this can turn out.  The alternative, however, is even riskier, even though it is a slower death, it is a surer death with less upside.  People generally fear the quick death and often opt for the slower death, even if the slower death is more inevitable.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “If you don’t enjoy hurting others, don’t play backgammon.”  –Paul Franks

Red to play 5-1

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Answer:  In our chouette tonight, Red made two big mistakes here:  first, he didn’t recube, and it was a drop; and second, he made the 5 point instead of hitting two.  Especially when your opponent has a blot in his inner board, hitting two is a serious consideration if not the best play.

TIP OF THE DAY:  Hitting two looks like it could backfire and cost you immediately, where making the 5 point, if it doesn’t turn out well, is a slower death.  In backgammon, most of us, particularly when we are holding a cube, tend to be risk-averse and take the slow death over the quick win or death.  To play well, it’s not a matter of slow or fast, it’s which play gives you the best chances overall.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.”  –William James

Blue to play 6-6

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Making the 2 point or ace point look pretty good, but when you leave a checker on the 4 point and Red rolls a 4, he can have an excellent game…you’d probably rather get hit off the 4 than see him anchor there.

TIP OF THE DAY:  You might not want to hit loose and leave a blot on the 4 point because it is “risky” to leave a direct shot that could get hit.   But it is even “riskier” to allow your opponent to have the 4 point.  Sometimes what we think of as the “safe play” is actually the riskiest play.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “When you have the choice of playing boldly or carefully, and you are not sure which is right, isn’t is just so much more fun to play boldly?”  –Phil Simborg