Four-Twenty: In the smoke and fog of this annus horribilis emerges the cube position below, born in bygone years, now dubbed Reference Take Point #420. The situation was extracted lovingly from the position archives. White redoubles, and applies massive pressure on Black with the recube, an 8 pointer. Black has a powerful home board, but…
practicing a game
As a recent Nebula video explains, effective practice is specific and purposeful. It is not merely diddling about. One key to effective practice is intent: find understanding through observing mastery, then pick apart the fundamentals of that mastery, and creatively imitate those ideas during play. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Just ask any…
dead heat bearoff
Ignore the doubling cube. Black to roll the dice. Ignore the cube in the picture. Suppose this position occurs in a cubeless game, perhaps in a match with score 1-away to 1-away. Black is on the roll but has not yet tossed the dice. The game will be decided as a bearoff race, the first…
swinging from cube to cube
As a position to remember, this situation is fairly easy. In a cash game with a centered cube, White is on the roll. The contact boils down to the white outfield point perched on the other midpoint and an ogle of the vulnerable black blot on White's side of the board. Both players have closed…
How to remember positions
How to remember a board position? In backgammon everyone is better at some things but needs practice at other things. For example, I am good at the numbers game, but poor at recalling positions from the recent past. My younger brother, however, is a master at remembering the shapes on the backgammon board. Sibling rivalry…
endgame teaser
On the management of gammon prospects … Seven "long" crossovers will save the gammon for White. Black rolls 32s and has ten long crossovers to a victory bearoff. Two choices play safely. Black can bearoff one checker with 3/0 3/1 and bury a blot safely behind the action. However, the odd number of nine crossovers…
a mutual racing cube
Cash game. Jacoby rule. White opens with 25s, a small split to the 22pt and an extra spare on the 8pt from the midpoint stack. Seven pips is the exact average of the inaugural roll; from now on, the average roll will be eight pips and a bit. No hint that this game will become…
Take (998)
Cash game. Black on roll. Cube actions? Black has a variety of market losers. Doubles fives can point and run. Flexible rolls can make the barpoint, a gem of a blockade. And fly shots can hit White's midpoint blot. Lastly, in a pinch, White's home blot invites Black to hit loose on the 1pt white…
about the opening of 42s
The opening of four-two is a great beginning. Vitally it makes the 4pt. It produces a trio of blockers whose toothy gaps are just where the opponent wants to anchor. Conflict and a strong attack are imminent. When Black's responds with 64s to White's opening of 24s, the large split to the black barpoint becomes…
a recent fan — page 62
I have become a recent fan of the backgammon roll six-two. Pen name 26s. The whats-it-about nature of this unicorn opening roll, a toss with sole intent to stir up trouble, and then some. But why? Why indeed? The reason must be simple. Why always fighting? Perhaps a tragic neglect and mistreatment during childhood? Never…
the baron talks backgammon 