Bearoff - Backgammon Forum - Discuss Backgammon Strategy, Clubs and Books

Two Plus Two Forums Sports and Games Chess and Other Board Games Backgammon Forum hosted by Bill Robertie.

Bearoff

Post Reply Subscribe

...

03-19-2009 , 05:41 PM

ajmargarine

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 21,228

I am lacking in bearoff skills and understandings. Black to play 2-1.

Quote

03-19-2009 , 10:42 PM

stormer

journeyman

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 296

I'm no expert but I would play 6/4 5/4. Can't think of a roll you could get next that would leave a shot with that play.

Other possibilities would be 6/5 6/4 but a 6 3 roll next time round would then leave a shot.

am sure there are other ways of playing it though, as long as you're not taking one of the 2 it's not too bad

Quote

03-20-2009 , 09:24 AM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

There are three general goals in bearing off against an opponent with a made point in your board.

Clear the rear point.

Prepare to clear the rear point.

Bear off checkers.

Clearing points is the safest way to play. Bearing checkers off emphasizes trying to win a gammon. In the old days, the emphasis was in clearing points and bearing off safely. Lately, there's been an increased appreciation of the power of just bearing off. Not only does it help the gammon chances, but if you have more checkers off when you get hit, your winning chances rise as well.

Here you can't clear the 6-point and you can't bear anyone off, so prepare to clear the 6 with 6/4 6/5.

Quote

03-20-2009 , 11:22 AM

Faustfan

grinder

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 465

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormer

6/4 5/4 is might be safe for the next roll, but you will face the same problem one roll later. thats why 6/4 6/5 you take the small risk of leyving a blot now, to be able to clear the 6point next turn. but it is no additional risk, because the same thing will happen one roll later if you play 6/4 5/4, you just delay the problem without clearing points

Quote

03-20-2009 , 12:19 PM

ajmargarine

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 21,228

but, delaying the problem might be better here because you don't want to have a blot when he is still on the bar, as delaying gives him more opportunity to enter before you might have to leave a blot.

iirc, gnu liked 6/5 4/2 probably with that in mind.

Quote

03-20-2009 , 12:54 PM

Viikatemies

journeyman

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 377

I don't think delaying might be better, because White will be waiting for you for quite a while from now on, because he has 5 checkers left behind.

If he re-enters and starts building his board while you're trying to bear off safe and you still have to leave a shot then, you could get into much bigger trouble than if you roll the fluke 63 next roll.

I always prefer to get over with contact as quickly as possible. If you manage to clear the 6-point next roll, he won't see a blot to hit for a long time, if at all.

Quote

03-20-2009 , 03:51 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmargarine

6/5 4/2 is definitely a mistake -- just another weird gnu misconception. The problem is it creates a sort of "phantom gap" on the 4-point. That is, you have spares on higher points but no spares on the 4-point. If you now roll a series of high numbers without a 1 or 2, that "gap" never gets filled and you can reach very awkward situations.

By contrast, 6/4 5/4 is a perfectly OK alternative to 6/5 6/4. You don't get down to two checkers on the 6-point, but you end up with a really nice distribution of spares.

Quote

Post Reply Subscribe

...