Bray's Learning Curve

Back Game Theory

Picture of Chris Bray
Chris Bray
Unlimited Games. How should Red play 31?
Top-down view of a backgammon board with orange/beige triangles, showing red and white checkers on various points, red checkers stacked on the left bar, and dice near the bottom-right.

Answer and Commentary

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Bray’s Learning Curve — A Great Member Benefit

Bray’s Learning Curve is a USBGF online series by author Chris Bray. Each week Chris lends his sharp insight and easy to understand analysis to help you improve your game.

Visit the USBGF Facebook page every Monday to challenge yourself with an interesting backgammon position and join in the lively discussion.  Return to usbgf.org on Tuesday to view the answer with commentary.

More Bray's Learning Curve

Backgammon board in a mid-game position with red and white checkers on numbered points, dice visibles and a red/red doubling cube edge.

The Single Falcon

Most modern players are aware of the concept of the “Double Falcon” where you run off a high anchor with both checkers in front of an opponent’s stripped point to either escape or generate

Overhead view of a backgammon board with red and white checkers on the points, some on the bar, and edge scores showing 2/9 and 0/9.

Cube Power

At first sight this position looks innocuous, and few would give much though to redoubling. Red still has a. lot of work to do and White has a five-point home board. Even so the redouble