When your opponent is on the bar is the time to take some risk to improve your position.
In this week’s position Red is way ahead in the race and so he should be looking for a racing
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):
This very odd position is taken from one of my training games. It is unlikely that you will have a reference position in your mental library to deal with this. My opponent as Red
In a money game a double shot from a back game does not normally warrant a double but this is 3-away vs 2-away. The standard tactics at this score are to double early as the trailer and drop
At many scores it would be correct to hit on the ace-point because of the increased number of gammons but here gammons are irrelevant, and Red just wants to make the move that wins the
This is the key position from the World Championship Final of 2009. I changed the score to subtly hide that fact! Lars Trabolt (Red) was coasting towards a gammon when he rolled this
The key to positions like this is to facilitate the speedy movement of the rear checkers around the board.
For once you are not trying to make new points, but rather you should keep the
There is an adage in backgammon that says when you are behind in the race do not race but, of course, there are exceptions, and this is one of them.
In this position Red needs to promote
In unlimited games and with a fully live cube common sense (if there is such a thing in backgammon!) should prevail.
The ace must be played 23/22 so that spare checker can see daylight