Five point match. White's match score is two, Black's zero. Black on roll. Cube action? During the pause, Black considers a double and White considers a take. A short match with score B:W as 5a/3a, so the baronMET probability of Black (on roll) to win this match is about 3/8. Of course, Black’s game chances…
Takes (240)
Nothing says "Take" like getting stoned and publicly rambling about a doubling cube decision. Here's a devilish question: Did you think you'd get The Devil all to yourself? No. Heavens. No. SHE is far too busy for the likes of you and your ilk, an elitist stickler for propriety in backgammon. Fret not. Today you…
a simple cube tonight
Cash game. Jacoby rule. Black on roll. Black has a good double, with much the better of the gammon chances. Rollouts reveal that Black wins twice as many gammons here. Close race, but trailing White by a roll. Black has the better board and a premium anchor. The attack chances strongly favour Black, with some…
cube 3.1
Cube actions. Cash game. Jacoby rule in effect. White doubles. Does Black have enough of a position to take the cube? What does White have going for her in this position to offer a first cube? First, White has escaped both runners onto a comfortable 15pt, an achievement known as a Houdini position. The white…
a first blood cube in a match
A late position in the first game of a three-point match. The score is still zero-zero. Black considers the first cube of the match. Black started this game with monster doubles from favorable dice on the third roll, so Black has been watching and nursing a "too good to cube" situation for many rolls now.…
about learning the game (0)
This position came up last week, a juicy racing tip to entice a study group of aging experts. Nowadays, these little scraps of data fling like fireworks through the internet, raining drops of backgammon positions splattered willy and yonder. In truth, to gain the attention of an aging expert, the situation on the board must…
cube 2.7
Black gets ready to roll the dice, but stops. Time to consider a first cube. Before this moment, the white and black outfield checkers were staring each other down, menacingly. But Black's last roll of 63s broke the black anchor. Somehow White missed. Does Black now have the upper hand? The first edict in the…
Openings (0)
Three-two. Black splits to the 21pt and brings down a builder to the 11pt. One-six. White makes her bar point. Black rolls 52s. Blot control. The top pair of plays leave only two black blots, and both on the far side of the board. Other sensible candidates leave three black blots. The better of the…
Hell-bent on a pub crawl
Black to play 53s This position shows the shape school can sometimes be right. Yet a good principle still travels with three or four clear examples. As here. The principle stems from the query: How do I manage three loose runners hell-bent on a pub crawl? Bet I'm not the first father to obsess over…
the beauty of dynamic play
Black to play 63s As a problem this position is very easy, but as an insight into backgammon’s intrinsic aggression it reveals a dynamic beauty, a kinetic pace, brimming with action and power. Still in the opening after Black’s third roll, a standard idea for 63s is run with 24/15. But, looking at the run,…
the baron talks backgammon 