Here's an interesting decision to make. This is from game 3 of the 19-point match from the world championship finals in Monte Carlo last week, Russell vs Granstedt. Joe Russell's move, the move I think I would have made, is considered a blunder by GNU. Anyone want to take a crack at it?

Midiboy --

Not sure what went wrong but your diagram isn't displaying on my viewer. (I get a little box with a black 'X' inside it.) If the video is on youtube and you can give me the time and roll I'll take a look at it.

I would probably play 9/5 11/10.

Here you go Bill:

https://youtu.be/8ruFmMER0UE?t=2662

Grey to play 4-1.

Uber - that's the play Joe made, and what I would have made. GNU marked the move as "very bad." GNU's recommended move is interesting.

It´s been years since I´ve played, but what about making the bar point and giving him 13 ways to hit? If he hits you still have some indirect shots from the bar and if he misses you cover with 22 rolls plus other rolls that h point on his blot. Make the move your opponent doesn´t want you to make!

Kid - dust off your backgammon board 'cause you're ready to play. The other consideration is that black is a little behind in the count - a bold move like going for the bar point to block white's final piece is what I think GNU likes. If white escapes, black may lose the race; as it happened, white did escape and went on to win the game.

I'll post the GNU analysis after Bill has had a chance to weigh in.

My first thought was 9/5 11/10 because it's safe and your checkers are reasonably well placed. But then I counted the race and saw Joe was down 22 after that play, which changes everything. Now if Jurgen escapes it's pretty much game over with the cube in play, and even if he doesn't Joe will have to play a blitz which gets pretty iffy since Jurgen's board is strong.

So with the race in mind, I'm thinking about slotting plays like 11/7 9/8 or 11/7 8/7. If Joe doesn't get hit (23/36 rolls don't hit) he has a monster double and I guess Jurgen has a bare take. But the take will be thin, so it's almost like those rolls are winners for Joe, making him a pretty solid favorite after the slot.

Of the two slots, I prefer 11/7 9/8 since I'll have more return hits after the sequences where Jurgen hits but stays on the bar-point and Joe then enters.

Bill - that's a good point I didn't consider - if Joe slots the bar and doesn't get hit in the next roll he's got a strong double.

GNU analysis:

Now I´m kicking myself that I didn´t see that this is a superior play to the one I advocated for the reason Bill states. I suppose I would have seen it when I last played, which was 36 years ago.