Anchor plus a goal-keeper
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 49
I am sure we are all familiar with those games where we have a 3 or 4 point anchor with a blot on the ace point (the so-called goal keeper). Many times we face a dilemma: should we safety the goal keeper or continue to keep him back? I am sure there are some rules of thumb here but I cannot recall where I read them. Anybody have any insights?
Last edited by Dr-Dark; 12-29-2021 at 07:32 AM.
Reason: typo error
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,954
Hard to generalize on this one, but the (very) basic idea is that you keep the goalie where he is until just before you start to run out of useful moves on your side of the board, or until your opponent's board gets so strong that there's a danger that the goalie gets pointed on.
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 49
Cheers Bill.
Also, here's some points for consideration that I've come up with after some trials with XG...
(assuming the race is out of our reach, in general It's as Robertie said, stay back if possible)
~In general the wrong play results in small errors.
~If you can save the gammon - safety the blot, preparing to run (bigger errors here for moving on your side of the board)
~If the opponent has made one or both points between your anchor and your blot - safety the blot (big errors here again for moving on your side of the board)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 720
"Always" stay back if gammons can't hurt you at at the match score.
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 49
Thanks for contributing _Z_, that's sound reasoning. I forgot about match score, all my XG experiments were 7 away, 7 away. More comments to come too hopefully.
Last edited by Dr-Dark; 12-29-2021 at 03:52 PM.
Reason: omission
