Unlimited Games. How should Red play 21? XGID=—-a-EbC—dE–Ac-e—-A-:0:0:1:21:2:3:0:9:10 You cannot play successful backgammon without continually taking balanced risks. This week’s position is a classic example. Over the board Red made the ‘safe’ play of 16/13. True it is safe for one roll but the key question to ask yourself is ‘what next?’ Red’s game plan […]

Match Play. 6-6 to 9. Should Red double? If doubled, should White take? XGID=–bBB-C-C—cB—bceB—A-:0:0:1:00:6:6:0:9:10 I posted this position to demonstrate what pressure can do to even good players. This is from the World Team Championships in Trier a couple of weeks ago. Red had recovered from 0-6 down and now at 3-away vs. 3-away he […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 31? XGID=–B-a-C-B—eCa–c-e-AAAB-:0:0:1:31:0:0:3:0:10 This is a very common type of problem. Which point or points should Red make in White’s home board? Red’s own home board is very weak, and he needs time to construct something more useful. This game has a long way to go. Red can make the […]

  Unlimited Games. How should Red play 52? XGID=-b—-E-D–AdCa—-dbb-AA-:1:1:1:52:0:0:3:0:10 Safety First Red has been doubled and is in trouble. White owns ‘the rack’ (her 4-pt, 5-pt and 6-pt) which is very powerful. Red cannot afford to play loosely and leave blots lying around. He would like to make a decent anchor and the only one […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 32? XGID=-a—AD-C-a-dE-a-c-eA—A-:0:0:1:32:0:0:2:0:10 This is a common opening problem. Should Red hit, if so where, or should he take the asset of the 5-pt? Let’s deal with the hit question first as that is quite clear. If hitting he should play 20/15*. This gains the most ground in the race […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 43?   XGID=-a-aBBC-CBA-b–a–bbbbb-B-:0:0:1:41:0:2:0:5:10   Back games can be horrendously difficult and this one certainly isn’t easy. White has more than enough timing and he will hoping to release his checkers on Red’s 5-pt and then play a well-timed 1-3 or 2-3 back (the latter is better). With so many […]

Unlimited Games. Should Red double? If doubled, should White take? XGID=–BCBB-a—B-AA—-abBcdd-:0:0:1:00:0:0:3:0:10 This is a very deceptive position and many a player of the White checkers would drop this double, seeing no hope of getting her checkers home and fearing a gammon. After all, Red only misses with 55 and 53. However, If Red hits the […]

  Unlimited Games. How should Red play 21?   XGID=–a—EaB–AdD-a-c-e—-BA:0:0:1:21:0:0:3:0:10 When in doubt, hit is a well-known backgammon maxim. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and this is one of them. Bar/23, 8/7* achieves very little while at the same time substantially weakening Red’s position. Red is behind in the race and this […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 62? XGID=—bBBD-C—-B-aacbd-b-B–:0:0:1:62:0:0:3:0:10 This is all about understanding Red’s game plan. White’s plan is simple, she will attempt to make her 5-pt next time and she is nearly a favourite to do that. Red must assume that White will make her 5-pt and plan accordingly. That means he should set […]

Match Play. Red trails 2-4 to 5. How should Red play 44? XGID=-aAABBBB-A——-bbcBcbbB-:1:-1:1:44:2:4:0:5:10 This is a complex problem. The key is to determine the correct game plan and then find moves that support that plan. Trailing by 36 pips after the roll means that Red cannot give up his ace-point anchor as that surrenders a […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 64? XGID=—–bE-B–B-C—ddeB-A—:0:0:1:64:0:0:3:0:10   Red trails by twenty-nine pips after the roll but has superb control of the outer boards. Meanwhile thirteen of White’s checkers are in stacks on only three points. The key to this position is for Red to keep that outer board control. For that reason a […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 52? XGID=-a—-E-C–AfD—c-e-A–A-:0:0:1:52:0:0:3:0:10 A classic second move problem. How should Red play this 52? The two is very clear 13/11, making an important outer board point. The question is how to play the five. There are three choices: 6/1*, 21/16 and 13/8. 6/1* usefully takes a tempo from White but […]

Match Play. Red trails 4-6 to 11. How should Red play 22?   XGID=–ABaBCACa—-A-ac-c-ac-bB:0:0:1:22:4:6:0:11:10  Over the board Red chose the very safe bar/21(2)*. Given the score and the number of White blots this was much too passive. Red has the opportunity to secure an anchor with Bar/22(2) and then think about the other two twos.There […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 61? XGID=—–ACABA—B-AcabebbBB–:0:0:1:61:0:0:0:7:10 Red is playing a perfectly timed 2-3 back game. Unexpectedly White has left him an early shot. Should Red hit that shot or should he bide his time? It is tempting to hit with 23/17*, 6/5. The problem with that move is that Red only has eight […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 65? XGID=–AABbD-C-C-aa—b-cbbb-A-:1:1:1:65:0:0:3:0:10 This is a type of position that I frequently see misplayed by beginners. Seeing the two blots in his home board Red decides that hitting with 24/13* is far too risky and chooses the waiting play 8/2, 6/1 or (better) 10/4, 8/3. This is muddy thinking. White […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 66?  XGID=-a–a-EBC—dC—cBdb—–:0:0:1:66:0:0:3:0:10 I often see this type of position misplayed so thought I would cover the topic. Computers have taught us that if you start the ace-point you should normally make it and so 7/1(2)* will be part of the solution. The most common error I see here is […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 33?   XGID=a-BBBaCa—-bB–AAbccA-bA-:1:-1:1:33:0:0:3:0:10 This position came up in a group training session. There are a huge number of possible moves with Red’s double threes as there often are with small doubles. The majority of students wanted to hit with 13/7* and then think about the other two threes with […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 53?   XGID=-BB-B-C-b–B-B-b-cBbb-bb–:0:0:1:53:0:0:3:0:10 Red could play safe with 6/1, 4/1 but what will he do next time and meanwhile he has trashed his board. However, that play is better than 6/1, 4/1 which permanently kills two checkers. It may look close, but in fact 11/3 is a blunder and […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 11? XGID=–aBB-D-BA—A–Aacbcc-bB-:1:1:1:11:0:0:2:0:10 Red has to decide how he is going to win the game. There are two approaches. Firstly, he could try to blitz White with a move such as 6/5(2), 3/2(2)*. Secondly, he could try to prime White’s rear checker. Over the board the first approach was tried […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 51? XGID=-ba–aE-C—dEA–c-d—-A-:0:0:1:51:0:0:3:0:10 This is a demonstration that playing safe in the opening is rarely correct. The checkers need to be deployed to useful positions. Remember the basics: make new points, unstack the heavy points, get the back checkers moving and hit where possible. Over the board Red played 14/8 […]

Match Play. Red trails 6-10 to 21. How should Red play 51? XGID=-BaBBBC—–bBc—-cBc-ba-:1:-1:1:51:6:10:0:21:10 This position is taken from Steiger (Red) versus Magriel (White) at Monte Carlo 1985. The game featured in the 1985 documentary on those World Championships. For the full video see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x31m7ZGkgs Steiger chose to break his anchor with 20/15, 6/5 but we […]

Match Play. Red trails 2-4 to 11. Should Red redouble? If redoubled, should White take? Unlimited Games. Should Red redouble? If redoubled, should White take? XGID=-bBB-aFBB——-Abccca—-:1:1:1:00:2:4:0:11:10 This position is taken from Jeff Ward’s 1982 book ‘Winning is More Fun’. Red was Nack Ballard and White was Kent Goulding and this was the final of the […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 62? XGID=-a—BD-B—dEa–d-e—-B-:0:0:1:62:0:0:3:0:10  Given that Red has the stronger board he can make a bold play so 13/5 is somewhat too passive. The choice is between the ‘regulation’ 24/18, 13/11 and the more aggressive 13/11, 13/7. The first play seeks to provoke action around White’s bar-point with the idea of […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 42? XGID=aCDCD—–A———-bbce-:2:-1:1:61:1:2:0:5:10  This a binary choice. Make your 5-pt or step up with 23/21, 7/3? It might seem that Red has plenty of time to escape the rear checker but that is not the case. He has less than ten pips to play with if he doesn’t roll a […]

Match Play. Red trails 2-4 to 7. How should Red play 52? XGID=—bBBBBB–AcAb-Ac-bb-AaA-:1:-1:1:52:2:4:0:5:10 This is a tricky position. I think if you play on automatic you will choose 24/22, 16/11. If you want to keep pressure on White’s blot on her 2-pt then 16/11, 13/11 would be the choice of many and that play is […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 54? XGID=aacbCBBBB-B—–aa-bbBb—:1:-1:1:54:0:0:3:0:10  White has a reasonably well-timed 2-3 back game and a home board that could collapse with a sequence of high numbers. Red could attempt to give White a super-timed back game by playing 21/17*, 21/16*. However, more important than this idea is to stop White from creating […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 64? XGID=-a–BaD-B—eE—Bccb—–:0:0:1:64:0:0:3:0:10 We can quickly reject 8/2, 6/2 which creates an ugly structure and one that is difficult to put back together again. Giving up the 8-pt to make the 2-pt is not a great trade. The choice is really between 13/3 and 17/13, 17/11. 13/3 keeps the defensive […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 42? XGID=-a—-EBB—fD—abcb—B-:0:0:1:42:0:0:3:0:10 Our opponent has made their 5-point early on in proceedings and is on the way to building a useful prime. In these circumstances it is normally correct for us as Red to split our rear checkers in response to combat that prime. That would imply that Red […]

Match Play. Double Match Point. How should Red play 32? XGID=-a-bBbD-BB–bB–Ac-e-B—-:1:-1:1:32:3:4:0:5:10  Small numbers often cause a problem in backgammon because they give you so much choice. This is compounded when the position is complex, and a back game is certainly that. This is DMP so the cube and gammons are irrelevant. Both players simply want […]

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 53? XGID=-a–BCC-B—-Cba-d-g—-B-:1:-1:1:35:0:0:3:0:10    One of the fundamental backgammon tactics is this: “attack a lone rear checker, prime an anchor”. That piece of advice has stood me in good stead for a very long time. This position is a classic demonstration of how to apply that maxim. White is poised […]