Grant's Puzzles - Backgammon Position of the Week

 How should White play 21 here: White is a great chance to hit both checkers here by playing bar/24* 6/4*: This move does indeed win 4% more Gammons, but unfortunately wins 6% less games. The issue is that any 4 for Black will hit from the bar which is 11 rolls, and also 33 from the bar play bar/22(2) 12/9 4/1* will make Black a 64% favourite. That is a total of 12 rolls, or 36% of the time. You could also have trouble escaping your checker on the 24 point as you do not have much timing. Compared this to bar/24*/22: Now you will only be hit with 7 rolls from the bar – 33, 41, 43 and 31. That is 5 rolls fewer or 14% fewer times you will be hit. You will have a much easier time escaping, possibly picking up Black’s checker on your 13 point. If Black does not anchor with a 4 or 31, then you will have 3 builders aimed at both your 4 and 3 points. Sometimes it really is as simple as how many return shots from the bar you give your opponent.

 How should White play 62 here: You have 4 blots around the board, and you would like to tidy up as many as you can, so you consider 13/11 8/2: The issue with this play, is the spare on your 2 point can only go to your 1 point. This limits its range and usefulness. You would like to make your 3 point, so moving the spare to your 2 point is going too far. Making your 11 point is good, as it blocks 6’s and means that if Black runs one checker off their 20 point, you will have good 6’s to hit on your 5 point. You consider 24/18 8/6: This safeties 1 blot and duplicates 6’s to hit on both sides of the board. Unfortunately, Black can still hit you with 6’s, 4’s, 3’s and 1’s. This move leaves you too exposed. Consider 13/11 13/7: This makes the 11 point, which is great. Black can already use a lot of their 2’s and 3’s to make points on their site of the board, so there is some duplication here. But we do still leave 4 blots, and that is just too many in this situation. How about 24/18 13/...

 How should White play 21 here: You know that gaps are bad, so you make the obvious play of 6/4 5/4: This is the move that I expect a lot of players would make over the board, without the quiz factor of this being presented as a problem. This is the move that could easily be made if you are playing speed Gammon or not thinking about how your next roll plays. On your next roll, every 6 except 66 will leave a shot. That is 10 rolls or 28% of the time. You could just think of this as a bear in problem and consider whether your highest two points (in this case your 7 and 8 points) have an odd or even number of checkers on them. You want your two highest points to either have both an even number of checkers on them or both an odd number of checkers on them. Consider the correct 8/7 8/6: After this move, your two highest points both have an even number of checkers on them and no roll leaves a shot.

 How should White play 62 here: When your opponent has only a single checker back, you need to stop them from escaping that checker. Here you can make your 9 point by playing 15/9 11/9: Usually making even a broken prime to block and opponents single remaining checker, is a good idea. Unfortunately, in order to do that you have to you leave a blot on your 15 point. Although you will have a return shot from the bar if you roll 64, 62 or 61, with 62 and 61, you will have to you give up your 21 point anchor to hit from the bar. As your opponent has the stronger board, they could launch a successful attack. Note that Black has 3 checkers which can put your checker on the 24 point on the bar and make the point with combinations of 6’s, 5’s or 2’s. Consider 11/3*: Black will hit you with the same number of shots, as they would of if you had played 15/9 11/9. One of the advantages of this move is the 4 rolls where Black stays on the bar. Now Black cannot point on the checker on ...

  How should White play 51 here: The safe play here is just to play 13/8 6/5: I really like Paul Magriel safe versus bold criteria, they help you to decide whether to play boldly or safely. Here you have the stronger board, more checkers back, an advanced anchor, Black has an inner board blot and you are behind in the race. All of these are Paul Magriel’s indicators that we need to play boldly. 13/8 6/5 is just too passive. You would really like to make a 5 prime, so you consider the hit and slot play of 8/7 6/1*: This play has a number of issues. First you cover your 7 point with a 6, but you have duplicated 6’s as a 6 also covers the blot on your 1 point. If you cover your 7 point with a 1, you have to you play 8/7 which breaks your 8 point. Any 1 by black hits you from the bar, but also any 3 enters at the edge of your prime, and threatens to escape with any 6. If Black does enter on your 3 point, you could be forced to attack when you have a blot on your 1 point. The ...

 How should White play 52 here: After this roll you will be 85 pips behind in the race. That means that the only way you will win this game is to hit Black’s checker. When you hit Black’s checker, you want your board to be as strong as possible so you consider 8/3 4/2: Although this improves your board, if you do manage to get a shot and hit it, unless you then roll 65 or 66, it will take you at least two rolls to cover the blot on your 2 point. And with black having a 5 point board, that hit could be fatal. You considered the safe play of 20/13: As Black has a 5 point board this seems like a wise move to make. This does align with Paul Magriel’s advice about playing more safely when your opponent has a stronger board than you. But that was only one of Paul Magriel’s criteria for whether to play safe or bold. He also suggested that you should play more boldly when you have more checkers back then your opponent, as you do here and play more boldly when you have an advanced anc...

 How should White play 61 here: I want to remind readers that all these positions are money play without Jacoby. You can leave no blots and create a 4 point board by playing 9/2: While this looks nice, Black can enter from the bar with 20 rolls or 56% of the time. You have also done nothing about escaping your rear checkers or attacking Blacks blot on their 10 point. You can cover and split your back checkers by playing 22/21 8/2: You will be ahead in the race by 8 pips after this roll. Black still enters with the same 20 rolls and your advantage will not be decisive. Consider it in 22/15*: Now you will be ahead in the race by 23 pips after the roll. Even if Black hits you on your 2 point, the 6’s are blocked from your 2 point. You are fully escaped into Blacks outfield and if Black hits you from the midpoint, they will have to give up their midpoint and you will have no trouble entering as Black only has a one point board. This is not correct because you win more G...

 How should White play 51 here: After the roll you will be ahead in the race by 22 pips, so you consider the safe play of 6/1 3/2: Although this is safe for the next roll, as it leaves no blots that Black can hit, this is not very safe long-term. You will be still stacked on your 6 point and have no spares on any other point. You will be inflexible and brittle. It is always good to make your 5 point, so you consider 10/5 6/5: The problem with this play, is the 13 rolls that hit the blot on your 10 point. If Black hits you, the fact that you have a blot on your 3 point, should make you less willing to hit in your inner board as you enter from the bar. You do not want to put your racing lead in jeopardy. You can cover the blot on your 3 point and give yourself some flexibility by playing 8/7 8/3: Now your board is stronger, and you have a spare on your 7 point, but in order to achieve those pluses you have had to give up your 8 point. Your 8 point was useful for blocking Black an...