The keys to this position are determining the correct game plan and maintaining communications.
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.
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.
Explore by topic:
Explore all (in date order):
Taking a tempo from your opponent in the opening is a fundamental backgammon tactic.
This position is taken from the Ultimate Backgammon Championship 2021 Final between “Mochy” Mochizuki and Dirk Schiemann.
One of the key things in backgammon is to make the checkers work for a living.
The key for Red to winning this game is to separate the three white checkers.
Over the board the natural looking 9/7, 8/7(2) was played but this turned out to be a blunder.
The key question is whether Red should stay back or try to escape.
It might seem clear here to play 19/16, 18/16 to block White’s sixes from her 16-pt. That is the obvious move, and it is what was played over the board.