there is a situation I was thinking about and I am still very unsure about the best move after 2 days. since I dont have gnu or snowie I cant check it myself, but actually an explanation would be better anyways.
the position is simple:

the oponent won the opening roll with 54 and played 12/17 and 1/5
now we are to move with 44

obviosly a great roll, but I really dont know what the best move is. three come to my mind:

- 24/20(2) 13/9(2) making the best anchor and making a second point, without any risk, but not attacking the blot on the 5point.

- 24/20 (2) 13/5* making the anchor as well and attacking the opponent, but allowing the opponent to catch up again if he hits.

-13/5* (2) making the 5point without any risk, but leaving an awkward distribution of checkers with the stacked 6point and only 2 spares left for the outfield

Hmm, I would surely make my 5-point pointing on his head. And I might also do a fist pump like the poker players say. Also, you've still got two spares so there's ammunition left to make your bar point or 4-point.

There is one very clear move in this situation, 13/5 with two checkers. This is good for 2 reasons, firstly you take and cover the vital 5 point and secondly you hit your opponent. Taking the 20 point is an extremely strong defensive play (say when opponent has taken 3 points in his home board) but in this early stage with such aggressive moves possible, it's usefulness is much less. It is difficult to exagerate just how important the 5 point can be early on in a game, only once your opponent has started setting up his own prime and/or escaped some back checkers should you really consider anything else when an opportunity like this arises.

I strongly recommend you download GNUbg although you are right that understanding the play is far more important.

link:http: //www.gnubg.org/index.php?catid=10&blogid=1

click on: ''install archive (win threads, code snapshot 20090218)'' about a 3rd of the way down the page and install.

Gnubg confirms this logic and even without rollouts 13/5 (2) is a massive favourite. When I did a short 300 rollout the results were as follows:

1. Rollout 13/5*(2) MWC: 52.94%
2. Rollout 24/20(2) 13/9(2) MWC: 51.49% ( -1.46%)
3. Rollout 24/20(2) 13/5* MWC: 51.30% ( -1.65%)

I'll always remember Bill Robertie's concept of counting the good things a move accomplishes and playing the one that accomplishes the most.

Making your five does

1. Making your 5-point
2. Start your prime
3. Gain ground in the race
4. Put him on the bar so an unlucky sequence let's you double him out

All moves gain ground in the race, because it's 44 after all, but putting him on the bar without any major disadvantage gains even more ground.

And while making your opponent's 5-point is very good it also gives the oppenent the chance to make yours next roll, because you are not pressuring him.

Google "jellyfish lite" and you should find a link to jellyfish lite which is a shareware version of the commercial product. It is a strong backgammon program. Try it out and set up the position you want. There are two free versions of it out there on the web. Jellyfish 3 and Jellyfish 3.5. Download one or both.

PS: I pm'ed you a shorter version of this message.

...or just download gnu.

I did not realize until after I had posted that OP had been given a link for gnu.

Please use correct notation, that is 54: 24/20 13/8.