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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This position is more difficult than it looks. The “obvious” move is 8/3* and that was played over the board, but it is nearly a blunder. Why?

Several reasons:

  • Next turn Red will only

Red leads in the race and has the better home board but White has an advanced anchor. It should be clear that Red must do something to activate the rear checkers. Red will have the advantage

As ever in the early game, Red has many choices and can play actively or passively. Perhaps 24/22, 13/8 is the logical choice? It splits the back checkers and develops one of the checkers

At Double Match Point 14/8, 10/6 would be the correct play because it wins the highest percentage of games but the thing that is often forgotten in positions like this is the gammon win

Prime against prime games are the most difficult in backgammon. If you haven’t studied this type of position, it is virtually impossible to get close to the correct answer.

Here Red

This is a well known type of ending which everybody should learn. For money this is double and pass but the match score is crucial to the decision-making process here. 

With Red owning

It is just too easy to hit with the four, 13/9*, and then work out what to do with two. 13/11 or 22/20 or perhaps even 9/7 or 8/6?

“When in doubt, hit,” is a well-known backgammon maxim but

Hopefully nobody would double this position with a live cube. Red is the favourite, but the position is not volatile enough to warrant a double. White has a take but not a beaver.

The