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pips Red=132 White=140
(CorrectAnswer= 0/0, ErrorScore= 0)
Handling the doubling cube remains the most difficult part of backgammon and I do not think that is going to change in the near future. As well as the technical handling of the cube, there is the emotional aspect as well. Nobody likes to lose but learning how to lose is a fundamental requirement to succeed at backgammon. After all, even the best players in the world are going to lose around forty percent of the games that they play. The key to winning backgammon is maximising one’s wins and minimising one’s losses in terms of the value of the cube.
Knowing when to pass and move on to the next game, rather than accepting a strong double and then being gammoned, is vital. In match play, players tend to be a little more cautious than in money or chouette play because they understand how important each point can be, particularly in a short match. In chouettes I have seen some truly horrendous takes made, normally accompanied by a show of bravado. When the taker then turns around a game and wins he assumes it is his skill that has brought about the result and he will go on to take even more bad doubles.
Of course, one needs to be able to technically assess any position and then make the correct decisions as both the doubler and the taker. Beginners will necessarily flounder in complex situations because they just do not have a sufficiently large library of reference positions to assist them in their decision making.
This week’s position is a classic example of a very strong double. Black is ahead in race, position and threat and as the position is volatile he must double now. That is the easy part. What about White’s decision to take or pass?
White need’s a game plan and that is difficult. He might anchor on Black’s 3-pt or bar-point or he may build his board and then hit a shot. The problem is that these scenarios do not happen often enough. An optimist will assume that he will anchor somewhere, even Black’s 2-pt, and then win from there. The problem is he does not yet have an anchor and Black is on roll. Black might execute a blitz and White may end up with two checkers closed out.
In fact, a third of Black’s wins in this position will be gammons. That is a too high a price to pay for White and so, despite him winning over twenty-five percent of the time, he should pass this double and move on quietly to the next game. When I had this position in an online match my opponent grabbed the double with only a couple of moments thought and was soon losing four points instead of one. So remember, having the discipline to pass positions like this one is an essential part of your backgammon skill set.
Knowing when to pass and move on to the next game, rather than accepting a strong double and then being gammoned, is vital. In match play, players tend to be a little more cautious than in money or chouette play because they understand how important each point can be, particularly in a short match. In chouettes I have seen some truly horrendous takes made, normally accompanied by a show of bravado. When the taker then turns around a game and wins he assumes it is his skill that has brought about the result and he will go on to take even more bad doubles.
Of course, one needs to be able to technically assess any position and then make the correct decisions as both the doubler and the taker. Beginners will necessarily flounder in complex situations because they just do not have a sufficiently large library of reference positions to assist them in their decision making.
This week’s position is a classic example of a very strong double. Black is ahead in race, position and threat and as the position is volatile he must double now. That is the easy part. What about White’s decision to take or pass?
White need’s a game plan and that is difficult. He might anchor on Black’s 3-pt or bar-point or he may build his board and then hit a shot. The problem is that these scenarios do not happen often enough. An optimist will assume that he will anchor somewhere, even Black’s 2-pt, and then win from there. The problem is he does not yet have an anchor and Black is on roll. Black might execute a blitz and White may end up with two checkers closed out.
In fact, a third of Black’s wins in this position will be gammons. That is a too high a price to pay for White and so, despite him winning over twenty-five percent of the time, he should pass this double and move on quietly to the next game. When I had this position in an online match my opponent grabbed the double with only a couple of moments thought and was soon losing four points instead of one. So remember, having the discipline to pass positions like this one is an essential part of your backgammon skill set.
Cube analysis 2-ply cubeless equity +0.613 0.717 0.240 0.009 - 0.283 0.068 0.001 Cubeful equities: 1. Double, pass +1.000 2. Double, take +1.033 (+0.033) 3. No double +0.854 (-0.146) Proper cube action: Double, pass


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