Position 365

How should White play 44 here:

You have to use the first two 4s to play 24/20(2) as this ruins two of Blacks primary game plans – priming or blitzing.

Next you realise that this is a great opportunity to make another inner board point. You consider 6/2(2):

This has a number of advantages; it retains your 8 point and gives you 3 builders on different points to make your 7, 4 or 3 points.

The big disadvantage is that it makes your 2 point, which really commits you to a blitzing or running game plan. It is hard to form a prime from your 8 to your 2 point is that would need 14 checkers, so priming is very unlikely.

It is easy to try to justify this move as Black has only one checker back in your home board, and they have a blot in their outfield. But the blot in their outfield will most likely be made or moved to safety next roll.

In the 70s players who played the opening 64 by making the 2 point were derided and told that they had no understanding. With the advent of computers, players discovered that that play was as good as any other opening 64. And if you are planning to blitz, lower points can be just as good as higher points.

The trouble with this play is that it commits you to playing that blitz. Bill Robertie in his excellent book “Modern Backgammon” devoted a whole chapter to the concept of Noncommitment. Noncommitment is the ability to not be locked into any particular game plan until you need to be. You want to create positions where you have many options, so that you can alter what you are doing depending on what the dice gives you. Eventually you will have to commit to a particular game plan, but you want to keep your options open as long as possible.

Consider 24/20(2) 8/4(2):

You have given up your 8 point, to make your 4 point, which is a better point. You have the freedom to play either a blitzing game or a priming game depending on what the dice give you.

If you do hit a checker, having the solid 654 structure will make it harder for your opponent to escape and easier for you to expand it into a 4 prime, then 5 prime. The stack on your 6 point looks ugly but sometimes backgammon isn’t a beauty contest, sometimes you just have to make the correct tactical move.

This 654 structure is so strong, it is the correct move even though now you only have 2 builders rather than 3 builders to make your next inner board point. Also, with the previous alternative you had 3 builders to make 3 new points, now you only have 2 builders to make 2 new points. This move being correct even though we have less point making ability shows us how strong the 654 structure is.