Grant's Puzzles - Backgammon Position of the Week

 How should White play 65 here: To decide on the correct move in backgammon, you must decide what are the most key factors in the position. When I looked at this position, I identified three factors that I thought were important: 1 – how many shots do I leave Black? 2 – how many blots do I leave around the board? 3 – how does my distribution look after the play? Am I stacked or flexible? Let us look at the candidate plays and evaluate them using these three criteria. You consider clearing from the rear and playing 13/8 13/7: 1 – how many shots do I leave Black? Any 6 as well as 51 hits, so that is 13 rolls. 2 – how many blots do I leave around the board? You only leave one blot here. 3 – how does my distribution look after the play? Am I stacked or flexible? Your 8 point is stacked and inflexible. Now consider the aggressive 13/6 6/1*: This move will win you the most Gammons, but you also lose the most Gammons. 1 – how many shots do I leave Black? You will be hi...

 How should White play 65 here: It is always nice to attend tournaments and play live backgammon. It is also interesting to see the plays that players talk themselves into. I know that I make blunders, but it is good to remind myself that I am playing human beings, not computers. From a recent tournament, White chose to make a “decisive play”, and hit here 9/3* 8/3: Black will return hits from the bar with 62, 54, 53, 52, 51, 42, 41, 21, 44 and 22 – 18 rolls or 50% of the time. This is only 2 more rolls than the correct play. But the other problem with this play is that Black may enter on your 2 point and then it will be harder to bring your checkers home safely. Even if you manage to tidy up the checkers on your 9 and 8 points, you will still have to clear the checkers on your 13 point. Black could hit two of your checkers here, making it hard for you to get off the gammon. Consider 13/2: Now you will be hit with any 6 as well as 51, 42 and 33 – 16 rolls or 44% of the time...