Bray's Learning Curve

Each week, author Chris Bray lends his sharp insight and easy-to-understand analysis to help you improve your game. 

Chris is the author of multiple backgammon books, including Backgammon for Dummies, and is the backgammon columnist for The Times of London. 

Expert Backgammon Player and TeacherChris Bray Photo

A New Puzzle Every Week

Every Monday Chris posts an interesting backgammon position on our Facebook page.  We encourage you to join in the lively discussion and return here to our website on Tuesdays to read his extended analysis. 

Bray’s Learning Curve in-depth analysis is one of the great benefits of a USBGF membership.
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Back Game Complexity

This is a complex position that I have used for many years in lessons. 

Red’s position looks far stronger than it is in practice. Red has twenty-seven-hitting numbers but after

Hold that Anchor

Red did not study this position for too long before applying the old backgammon adage, “when ahead in the race, race”, and promptly moved 21/13. One of the reasons for running was that

Time to go

This basically a ‘pay me now, pay me later’ problem.

Th race is close, but Red will lead by eleven pips after the roll. 

13/7 and 7/1 are both neat and tidy but what will Red do next

A difficult decision

The solution to this problem is counter intuitive. Clearly Red does not have the timing to play a 3-5 back game. Many would choose 22/20, 6/2 and that is the second-best play and by no

Abandon All Hope

Red was already bemoaning his luck when this apparently useless 43 fell out of the dice cup. Wanting to keep both the mid-point and the 11-pt, 8/1* was played and Red went on to lose a gammon

All four quadrants

Never take your eyes off the whole board. Red leads in the race, so wants to race, and has two stripped points to clear, the mid-point and the 15-pt. Is this roll an opportunity to clear

End game conundrum

Clearly Red must hit. The question is whether to hit one or two blots and if only one, which one.

The double tiger play, 10/5*, 10/4* is the obvious choice and if one of the Red checkers

Another prime vs prime

The adage says that all prime versus prime positions are doubles and take. Does that hold true here?

Red has nine pips of spare timing before his prime breaks while White has eight pips.

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