the race is about even
White has the excellent 20pt anchor, a better home board, and more spares for timing on her midpoint
the key to Black's correct move is White's midpoint spares on 13pt. one common error is to leave a blot in range of a stacked point when blot can be left in range of a stripped key point on 20pt
Black should instead leave his blot on the 10pt in front of White's Golden Anchor (trying to destroy it if White will hit from it). and adding a useful builder to his stripped 8pt stylishly completes Black's play
so try B/20/15/10 13/8. make White pay to hit the Black blot by offering to start an exchange of hits
notice that when White hits with a spare (such as from her 13pt), then there is no structural damage to White during an exchange of hits
Black chose to make the 9pt which seems like a natural progression towards a Black prime. and it is. however, Black must also consider White's side of the board and White's game plan
the White Midpoint 12pt is already stripped and, given that she has not yet made a new home point, she has the maximum possible builders for her board that an opening position can offer
Black's goal is to make a high anchor. Black wants to get there first to thwart White's objective, and his plan is feasible because he has the better board - for the moment
when Black makes a grab for a high anchor, this position becomes a classic case where Black prefers to be hit in the White outfield rather than in her home board - in this situation White would often hit and point in her home board therefore Black's return hits or return anchors from the Bar will be easier if White has still not made a new home point after she has hit
the best move: start to construct the Bar point with 24/18
White owns the cube
Black has a slight racing lead and a prime that is not perfect
White too has a blockade yet Black could escape it without much trouble, except for one vital fact: White has control of the outfield and has builders
Black, by contrast, has mediocre builder structure and Black is running out of time: his two backmen do not help his timing despite the superiority of Black's prime
hence this is the moment for Black to seize the initiative with a provocative play:
the White builders are too scary for any running
slotting or hitting are close in equity, yet represent quite different strategies:
the loose hit could freeze White's development and permit Black an instant reversal
the best move: play 7/1*
White has made a great 4-prime and sprung one backman
Black has inched his anchor ahead and added coverage to his outfield, hardly an equivalent development
running into the White outfield and leaving twin blots to the whims of a pair of White builders is not natural
the natural play starts the key 21pt and safeties the Black builder with 23/21 14/8
it acknowledges White's better position and seeks to solve one Black's problem at a time, starting with the vital issue of a better Black's anchor
the play revolves around the combination of a Black 5pt blot and a White 21pt blot. which attack is best for Black?
with five backmen Black is ridiculously far behind in the race, although his 20pt anchor is great compensation which embarrasses the five White spares on her side of the board. her spares are all dressed up with nowhere to go
Black needs to realize that five backmen with a great anchor alter the tactics and strategy pertaining to his side of the board
for example, without the ready builders Black cannot expect a blitz to work starting from a 4pt loose hit. this promotes the pointing play ahead of that play. however, the pointing play also suffers from a lack of builders
Black should instead begin to redress the imbalance in racing deficit with the completely safe play of 13/11* 6/5. in what will prove to be a long game White's Midpoint is stripped and her own blockade is thwarted by Black's anchor
Black's well-supplied anchor converts all of the checkers on his Midpoint into instant spares. he won't mind breaking the midpoint. White suffers the timing problem and a Black home/outfield prime is the ideal antidote for exploiting White's advanced position
begin with 13/11* 6/5
Black rolled big doubles when he is far behind in the race
when this happens Black must make sure he creates lasting assets such as new points that are strategically meaningful so hitting a White's blot rarely qualifies
under no circumstances should Black advance the 23pt checker with this roll because, still far behind in the race, Black must maintain contact in all quadrants of the board
best is moving the checker on the Bar to become an outfield builder on the 10pt and creating an additional outpost on the 15pt. these moves increase coverage of his outfield , which diminishes the chances of White's straggler escaping while also providing further development of Black's nascent prime
play B/20/15/10 20/15
the race is even
each side has made one block
each side has escaped one backman
neither has improved the home board
with this roll Black can indeed make a new home point, obviously of value. however, this play is second best
this problem is an introduction to the topic of first-strike capability
the positions are parallel. it is quite possible that White too will next be faced with 'running or making a home point' problem
suppose Black runs now. even though fifteen shots will hit (eleven for 4:x and two for 1:3 and one for 2/2 and another one for 6/6), that is still a minority (42%). if Black's blot will be missed, it now covers both outfields and suddenly White's running prospects are diminished
play 24/16
backgammon is not like other games where there is advantage in maintaining a static parallel balance between armies . backgammon is too fast-paced for that and often rewards the player who seizes the initiative, who "strikes first and asks questions later" . in the opening of many backgammon games we have all been forced to dance even before we have our dancing shoes laced up. the concept of first-strike capability is very real
the stronger Black is on one side of the board, the weaker he can afford to be on the other side - within reasons
Black has the better home board
White has builders but also has gaps in her home board
here it is quite reasonable to make the 7pt with 13/10(2) 10/7(2)
Black's new blot are admittedly vulnerable to an Ace
but White is stripped on her Midpoint and if she hits, the entire outfield is up for grabs
so by hitting the Black outfield blot, White creates a happy situation for Black if he manages to anchor from the Bar on the 20pt or 22pt and then the remaining Black runner can stake claim to the outfield
after that, Black's 5-prime will really be effective
even though the 16pt is covered by two White builders, running from the Bar to the 16pt is still a better play than starting the 8pt
yes, Black would be happy to see White break anchor to hit, but that is mostly wishful thinking
White won't hit without a perfect roll
if White doesn't hit, what can Black do with his 8pt blot?
White owns the Golden Anchor, so a priming game is out of the question , especially since Black would have five checkers behind White's anchor. this game still has plenty of play and therefore it's too early to strip the midpoint
run with B/21/16 into two White attackers and view the play as an investment in timing
timing is a nuanced balance between pips and flexibility . if missed, Black's timing is improved in flexibility; if hit, Black gains more timing in pips
White has a slight lead in the race
although Black would like to make his Deuce point to keep up with home board development, the tenor of this game seems to ask "who will improve the backmen first?"
Black can run to the 14pt, but his 9pt blot may prove to be an awkward and untimely flaw and then become a deadly distraction. if White hits anywhere, Black's extra blot may be his undoing. afterwards the game turns ugly. better to cover the 9pt while he has the opportunity
thus starting the 18pt is the move which, when successful, could vault Black into a commanding position in this game. if his 18pt blot is hit, White still has openings in her board for Black to anchor
play 24/18 13/9
both sides have made their 5pt
Black has two extra checkers back
White has an attacking blot in her outfield also aimed at new blocking points
should Black split to the 22pt or creep to the 21pt?
because Sixes do not play well for White from the Bar, White would be satisfied to hit loose from her 10pt with any Six
even though a Black creep to his 21pt threatens White's outfield blot, it is wiser (and safer) to try for a high anchor with the full split
play 24/22 6/1*
only one choice makes sense here and all others are massive blunders. nevertheless we all take our eyes off the ball occasionally. Black decided to hit twice by clearing his Barpoint blot
the problem here is the game plan - Black lacks the immediate builders to close out White. Black has the safety of a good anchor, which is traditionally required for blitzing , but his two runners on his 22pt and 15pt first need to be on his side of the board. Black's anchor also supports the game plan of priming and here is a perfect roll to create that prime
of course Black must play 13/7 making his 5-prime and trapping three White backmen
the two Black blots in the outfield are a nuisance, but no more than that. with any White hit from her midpoint, the outfield will be relinquished to Black and the exit of any Black backmen via the vital 21pt Black anchor will replenish his outfield control
this is a small quiet problem of a technical nature but ignoring the reasoning can ruin a successful outcome of the game. of course Black will hit the White blot on the 18pt. now what?
if Black breaks his Midpoint he leaves four blots scattered around. that's too many blots
if Black advances his 11pt blot to his Bar point, he leaves White unused aces and sevens to hit one of the two Black blots, thus eleven shots in total
if Black covers his 11pt blot he leaves again two blots and eleven shots in total
if Black continues to the 14pt, he still leaves two blots and eleven shots
given White's board, from a safety perspective all these may be too many shots. how to choose?
the technical issue is the question of Black's return shots. in middle game situations like this, where the home boards are solid and where a blot-hitting frenzy may suddenly erupt, try to orchestrate the return hits to attack the weakest white point (or blot) by arranging substantial Black coverage beforehand. this is a very important and often overlooked principle
specifically, Black should play 24/18*/14. here's why
the other move choices had the Black 18pt blot perhaps attacked by White's 17pt. then, if Black is hit, only this same Black checker now cooling his heels on the Bar has (indirect) shots at White's new blots
instead if White breaks 10pt to hit Black, then at least three Black checkers bear on the white outfield blots. if Black does enters, the return hits are many and devastating
nor is it just the number of return hits that matters. the surrender by White of the outfield has major implications for the White backman and for Black's chance of picking up two White blots
further, if White misses the shot on her next roll, Black's position after 24/18*/14 is well connected and well situated to button up blots or sprint to safety
White has a tight 4-prime which has tempted Black into thinking that he should make a high anchor on the 21pt. the trouble is that, although he is not winning the game, Black is leading in the race. White has three checkers back, spares on her midpoint, but currently no builders on her side of the board. this lack of ammunition makes it too early for Black to worry obsessively about an anchor, especially if he has a constructive and threatening move on his own side of the board. and he has
Black should make his 4pt, which puts teeth into his blockade and supports any future attack. also, the play lifts a blot under direct aim from the white anchor, thus preserving Black's racing advantage. furthermore it indirectly defends against a white attack on Black's 21pt blot
play 9/4 6/4
there is really only one play here but in the heat of battle a warrior can sometimes lose his bushido way
White has a fine 4-prime and the golden 20pt anchor. Black has some outfield development and control, a medium-quality anchor, but has not strengthened his board yet. particularly, his 6pt stack is paralysed by White's anchor with his three spares stunned and inert. both players have more checkers back than they started with although, despite this, the race is still close
Black chose to hit a white blot, but the choice is not the direction of play. given that Black may not build a decent home board for quite awhile, it is best to upgrade his defence to the far better 21pt anchor. now White's 6pt spares are also stunned
play B/21 22/21 and await developments
Black is cruising along to victory here but he needs to keep alert to the practical possibility of winning a gammon. how practical is that hope?
Black has three checkers off, leaving an even number remaining - perhaps six rolls
White has the 23pt anchor as irritant backed by the muscle of a fine board. without delaying, White needs seven crossovers to save her gammon. that means the tally is within one roll. high Black doubles would make it about even money
White's low anchor also means that middle-sized dice may not generate her full complement of crossovers
therefore, Black should take two checkers off with 3/0 1/0
removing only one checker harms Black's gammon chances appreciably. the fact that the gammon is close means that excess safety could be costly
both sides have the makings of excellent primes; both sides have stripped midpoints. Black has the better board with his Golden point but White has an avalanche of builders poised to equalize that difference in a flash
Black has two checkers back (one on the Bar) whereas White has only one backman - this difference alone shows that White has a small racing lead. if Black enters quietly from the Bar, White will have free rein to improve
given Black's current better board and more backmen, this moment is the perfect time to hit White's blot loose on Black's 1pt. White is licking her chops in anticipation of fresh meat, so Black serves her a less tasty meal. the smooth development expected by White will be set off-kilter and the balance may not recover for a roll or two. further, the checker from the Bar will aim allSixes at the White outfield blot
play B/22 6/1*
Black has just rolled sweet dice. Black should first consider the play that moves his checkers in pairs. travel is more enjoyable with a buddy and this position is no exception
with this great roll Black should grab the 18pt anchor and point on his 7pt with the usual freight-moving play of 24/18(2) 13/7*(2)
the other reasonable choices try to squeeze out an extra drop of advantage, but ultimately sacrifice too much structure. this roll hits and makes two excellent points while changing Black's status to race leader. that should be enough. don't get greedy
although counting pips here is hard work, Black can readily see that he is far ahead in the race. Black has more home board points and has neatly made his Barpoint block, although White's board is structurally better
Black unfortunately has ceded the outfield to White. then again, White's batch of four runners with a trio poorly placed on her 24pt makes her defensive development embarrassing. yet Black's anchor is nothing to brag about.Fours play very well for White so it won't cost Black much to place his blot on the 16pt
all in all, the game itself is about even and neither side can currently claim an advantage
structure usually dictates game plan. here Black's racing lead, his need for an outfield presence, and his preference for a better anchor suggest that the blot-infested 24/22 21/16 is best, although lifting the 15pt blot is a close second choice
Black has only mundane choices with this roll. the race is slightly in Black's favour. White has the better board but a stripped outfield. Black has some home board strength with excellent builder structure
the major difference between the two armies is the backmen: White has two and split; Black has only one and forward
although mundane and no guarantee of success, Black should just run his backman into White's stripped outfield with the play 21/16 6/5
if White misses then Black can try to nurse the race into a healthy victory. if Black is hit, White disbands her outfield
in this situation it is better to be hit outside rather than inside White's home. if Black stays put inside, three White builders target the Black blot whereas outside only two target it. inside, White may hit making a fourth home point; outside, she rarely does and she weakens her outfield
lastly, since the White runners are split, Black has the desperate option of hitting loose in his home board if he gets into trouble. If that happens Black would rather White did not have a fourth home point
play 21/16 6/5
this is a difficult problem to explain and an unlikely situation to play correctly under game conditions. Black chose to advance his Midpoint spare to the 4pt. hard as it is to believe, this quiet move is a blunder
applying the usual analysis, Black is trailing in the race by about a roll after his play of 63s. he has a terrific 5-prime trapping a lone White checker. White has successfully slotted her 7pt which, when covered, would create her 5-prime to trap two Black runners on the anchor. White has only seven rolls that do not make either her Barpoint or her 4pt, and none play horribly
for simplicity, suppose during her next roll White does cover another blocking point. now what?
both White and Black could have a stripped Midpoint to accommodate the mutual timing issues of a prime-versus-prime situation. it would be Black's roll and White would have more spares on her blockade. the positions are nearly parallel except Black's precious flexibility is locked into the existence of his second backman. hence, Black is losing the timing battle by the equivalent of moving his second backman forward by two rolls to land on his own prime. of course, this is precisely what White's prime prevents him from doing
now briefly imagine an alternate universe where Black has sufficient timing, created by somehow moving White's 13pt to her 7pt and her 8pt spares to her 5pt. in this strange world, Black has the better timing and may win this game by the strength of his anchor. typically White would break her wave of blockers on the immobile rock of Black's deep anchor. meanwhile Black would use up his timing until the White crunch opens some escape routes for his backmen beyond her broken prime. then Black could point with glee on the isolated White blot, freezing White's broken formation and extracting Black's runners. fantasy, yes, but this is a common game plan in many prime-versus-prime games. unfortunately, the assumption was that Black had the better timing. he doesn't. return to the real world
Black's classic strategy for winning a prime-versus-prime battle fails because of poor timing, but the current situation can be viewed as the baby brother of that situation as long as Black freezes White right now with an action play and begins to extract his backmen soon. the freeze of White's options requires an immediate loose hit on the ace point. since this strategy is strictly do-or-die, the placement of an extra builder in the black outfield is vital
boldly play 13/10 7/1*
if Black is hit, perhaps slow dancing on the Bar could also make White's blockade crumble
if Black's bold play succeeds, he will then greatly increase his chances of gammoning White. that reward in itself is not the reason for Black's bold play, however, but a happy side effect
the cause of the potential reversal in Black's fortunes is the dramatic increase in volatility that the bold play creates. if the volatility of the opening roll of a new game is defined as one unit, then by comparison the chosen quiet play of 13/4 has a volatility of about two units yet the bold play of 13/10 7/1* has a volatility computed to be about four units. the more volatile, the less is the long term predictability . the quiet move has less volatility than the bold action play
in summary, if a winning game plan is foiled by an analysis that imagines a slow development, then a shock attack that increases the volatility may be the only winning alternative. provoking more volatility is a common theme when Black feels his game slipping from his grasp.
Black's flexibility has just run out and if he does not roll that darnFive soon, he will be in jeopardy of breaking and perhaps be the proud but frustrated recipient of another hard luck story
rather than squeeze his timing down to the last drop with two spares on his 3pt, Black should slot his 2pt with the play 7/2
granted, the last thing Black wants is to have another checker sent behind White's blockade, but White is still two-to-one against hitting. even if Black is hit, his full prime will contain White's escape whenever Black dances. if the slotted blot is missed, Black now has paid the fee for some new timing when he can roll his prime forward to cover the 2pt
Black trails in the race. White has a better blockade. fortunately Black entered from the Bar as his two outfield blots are sitting ducks when White gets the chance to attack them. White will soon be cubing Black. what can Black do to stave off a resignation in this game?
if Black makes his 12pt to pair his blots, White will immediately cube. perhaps White can anchor majestically and let her 4-prime squeeze Black into oblivion. when White has a free hand, does Black have a take? it doesn't look like it
stated this way, the only sensible choice for Black is to distract White with a loose hit, hoping White's response is awkward or anaemic. therefore Black must hit either White's 21pt blot or 22pt blot. which one?
Black's outfield blots are vulnerable toThrees andFours which are the same good dice as White's entry to hit or to anchor. thus, there is no way to use duplication to decide. when missed, to maximize coverage of his slotted home blot, Black already has all his builders working
therefore Black plays B/24 6/4*
this choice does not disturb his coverage builders yet pockets a free coupon perhaps to allow an anchor upgrade or to establish a second anchor if things go badly
Black gets a terrific roll to save the gammon. as his four stragglers are all located on the deep half of each board, it may take a shade more than the obvious number of crossovers to save the gammon. currently, before the 66s, that means more than eleven crossovers
White needs an easier eleven crossovers to bear off. reviewing all the combinations leads to the realization that Black must break his deep anchor
perhaps Black should not waste even a single pip in his home board. this idea suggests occupying the 10pt and 11pt
on the other hand, his 5pt is vacant, so perhaps landing a runner there would be enough compensation for the wasted single pip
Black should slot his 5pt with either 23/5 17/11 or 23/5 16/10, partly because if Black does hit, his home board can be readily closed
White has a dangerous home board and has checkers covering the outer and inner boards on Black's side. obviously Black does not want to be hit
Black has escaped his backmen and, thankfully, has his Golden point. the fly in the ointment is that his 6pt is grossly stacked. is it worth leaving four shots to add a spare to his 5pt?
yes. the main reason has to do with White's coverage. her spares on her 10pt mean that her coverage of Black's side of the board will remain menacing for several rolls. Black will therefore need to be pointing and developing in order to expect to bring his outfield checkers home. the race is close, so the transit home is not really a sprint but more like an extraction. if Black succeeds in advancing, many of his wins actually come from attacking the white straggler than from the race alone
play a spare to 13/5
if White misses the Black blot, making home board points and outfield points are now quite possible
here is an opening position. in the early stages a principle of opening play worth remembering is: put the standard opening move on the top of the priority list and keep it there until better reasons demote it . the typical opening play for 63s is starting the enemy Barpoint and bringing down an outfield builder: 24/18 13/10
what has happened so far in this opening?
due to his racing deficit Black is losing the game, but he still has plenty of counter play
Black made his 5pt, a great start which makes every strategy of correct opening play more correct. the 5pt is an enabling structure. it gives permission and encouragement to play an aggressive game, a blocking game, and a racing game
Black had a third checker sent back. usually this means that Black trails in the race, and this position is no exception. since White has not yet improved her home board, Black would now like to make a high anchor
White has managed to run one backman to safety. this means that the building portion of the standard opening play of 63s is more important than usual, for Black wants to contain the straggler to counteract White's strategic plan of running
based on the last three observations, the Magriel criteria of “safe versus bold play” strongly suggest boldness for Black
White has made her 9pt. this asset threatens a Black slot on the 18pt, but for Black there are some upsides to it as well. for example, White would prefer to strengthen her home board next, but that could leave Black a direct shot at a white 9pt blot. it would be a happy distraction for Black if White attacked the black Barpoint blot, but in the exchange Black managed to grab a high anchor with his three split backmen
in summary, the initial meaning of an opening 63s roll is enhanced by what has happened early in this particular game. Black should play 24/18 13/10
after the move Black will trail in the race by two rolls. if Black wants to run a backman, it should be from the 20pt and not the 22pt. it's a matter of keeping contact with the white army to produce future shots
but should Black run at all?
breaking the Midpoint strands the split Black backmen. since White has spares on her midpoint, she can quietly await a pointing roll that crushes Black's blot and maybe pick-and-pass in the meantime. then Black will be demoralized trying to run the gauntlet of the outfield
no, Black needs his Midpoint because to abandon his runners now is too dangerous
Black could roll his prime forward into his house by breaking the 8pt. this looks good at first glance, but what's the encore?
all of the above arguments about White's flexibility of attack still apply. a stronger Black board does deter White but White is unlikely to get reckless here anyway. her flexibility allows her to wait for safer attacks with negligible downside
the conclusion is that White's flexible structure and the threats to Black's runners should direct Black to save a backman
play 20/9 and hope for big dice or unlucky White rolls