61: 13/7 6/5 - Backgammon Forum - Discuss Backgammon Strategy, Clubs and Books

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61: 13/7 6/5

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07-05-2015 , 11:18 AM

yogiman

adept

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 784

I've been experimenting with the openingmove 61: 13/7 6/5 for the last two hours, and it plays remarkably well, even against the bot. If the bot has not anchored I even hit loose on the 2-point. No boring holding games anymore, and many more complicated positions.

Try it, and tell what you find of it.

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07-05-2015 , 01:55 PM

Frank the Tank

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,458

I play it in gammon go situations. If you don't get hit, you've either got a prime or you could start a blitz depending on what the dice give you. If you get hit, not a big deal, you're not dancing often, you get a chance at making an anchor. If you get hit too many times, you could play a backgame. I love the look on human players' faces when I play this while on the wrong side of the Crawford game.

In a similar vein, an opening 21, you could also play 6/4 6/5 when you're gammon go.

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07-06-2015 , 09:28 AM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Paul Magriel experimented with 13/7 6/5 (against players he thought were weak) in the 1975-78 period. He eventually gave it up and went back to the normal play. The bar point is a very strong point, so why not start the game as a favorite rather than an underdog?

You can outplay bad players from a slightly weaker position, but I'd rather try to outplay them from a slightly stronger position.

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07-06-2015 , 03:44 PM

peachpie

centurion

Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 182

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

In a similar vein, an opening 21, you could also play 6/4 6/5 when you're gammon go.

I have a friend who always does that. For a while I would struggle against it because I didn't know when to stop hitting, and build my forward position instead. Ended up against a lot of 3 point backgames, helping his timing, and such. It was a great learning experience. Eventually I forced him to stop it though.

I would expect something similar against 13/7 6/5. The difference is that there is an obvious, strong, and safe alternative that is hard to refuse.

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