XGID=-ACBA-BBbb--aB----Bbbbbb--:0:0:1:22:0:0:3:0:10

I'm ahead in the race and need to get my chips home. XG says 18/16(2) and 13/11(2) is the only move and everything else is useless in comparison. I did not even consider that move! I considered things like 18/14(2) and also 7/5(2) and 18/16(2) etc.

What type of reasoning must one have to be able to find a move like 18/16(2) and 13/11(2)?

Also, why is this move so very much better than any other option such as those I posted above?

Here a very bad move is 18/14(2). Try every time to preview the follow up: white jump with the blot and what roll do you like? You have to estricate the men and opponent press you. In chess is like a zugzwang. 18/16(2) and 13/11(2) the roles are the exact opposite because he is a bit stripped: unless he rolls quckly a 5 or a 6 or a double you press him with your points and he likely have to Leave a shot and mess up the situation. Ok your home is bad but not crashed and you can still close points.

A worse mind setup here is to bury checkers in your home board. Your position is difficult because of your high anchor stragglers and his board: if you crash your board youre hopeless because you cant have counterplay and your only hope Will Be to roll good doubles

A move like 13/11 make it simple to Connect with our board to keep some timing in case of bad rolling

Thank you - it's so obvious now that you explain.

Much appreciated. :-)

Btw a thing to remember when in general the position is not particulary corrupted from both side and you try to run vs good board with him controlling your outfield: the stripped doublet on 13 point and 14 point is very hard to clear because usually you dont have timing and no good rolls and you are under pressure of two direct shot so you have to consider alternatives if possible, like strenghten the home board or Leave a single man behind and run secure the other.

You need to get closest to home as You can, but avoid being in blocked in direct range by opp's anchor. The less range he has the better: 6 is best for him and 1 is worst. The same goes for indirect range (7 or more), but it's sometimes more complicated.

The goal is to run one guy from a point that's 7 or more from Your opp's anchors, because he will have only few shots - and then run the other guy. Or when in direct range - to jump both guys. When You're blocked 6 pips away You can't do that without good doublets. If You jump 1 guy You leave 17 shots. When You're blocked 5 pips away, You still need doublets, but sometimes You can jump one guy with 6x roll, and use the other half to shorten the gap - that will give Your opp much less than 17 shots. When blocked 4 pips away You have good 65, and also 5's and 6's can jump one + shorten distance from the other. And so on.

Now look at the position. After 18/14(2) You have [b]two[b] points blocked in the worst range possible - first 6 and 5 away, and the other 5 and 4 away. After 18/16(2) 13/11(2) it's quite different. You got one point blocked in small direct range (2 and 3 away), and the other 7 and 8 away, which is OK-ish indirect range.

After 13/11(2) 7/5 6/4 opp can cover his midpoint blot, blocking Your 18 point in direct 6 pips range.

With the cube in the center, Your homeboard is pretty irrelevant, as if You get hit, the opp will cash or play for a gammon. Your board will matter only if You hit a late shot after close-out, and it can help You to avoid gammon if You can contain a hit checker for a roll or two. The times when it lets You win the game is tiny %. That being said, You want to keep the home-zone checkers high, for flexibility. If You play 7/5(2) You will have to play next 6 from the anchor and expose Yourself. Leaving the 7-pt. where it is let's You play a 6 into You homeboard and try to roll doublets next roll.

Add all the above up, and You got any other move than 18/16(2) 13/11(2) as BIG blunders.

It's about connectivity. To get home, you need a way to get there. The 11 point makes a sort of bridge, and the back men need to stay in range of the bridge.

I look at this one differently.

18/16(2) gets you closer to home and 13/11(2) buys you time.

Mostly you are waiting to roll another double. Forget the board and the contact, you need to roll another set to get home safe.

Creeping up 13/11(2) will give you more spares to play until crunch time. In other words, the maximum stall time to wait for that next set of doubles.

Thanks for the useful comments!

What about this one:


My defensive 5-point provides a stepping stone for my two chips on 23 to get out. If I move 20/10(2) the two stones on 23 are stuck there! However, Gnu says 20/10(2) is the only move. Why not 8/7(2) and 7/2(2) to retain a way out for my backwards stones by keeping my defensive stones on 20? Besides, I'm behind, so I want to build my home board, no?

After playing 55, you are only 19 pips behind. That is not nearly enough to hold four men back - your forward game would crash. So you have to leave the 20 point, like it or not.

Also, making the 10 point improves your chances to contain or attack white's back checker.

You're right that you don't really want to give up the 20 point, but all plays have drawbacks.

Giving up the 8 and 7 points, for instance, leaves a semi-dead checker on the 2 point, and eats up all your flexibility for the next roll.

Better than giving up the 8 and 7, I think, is 13/3(2), but that leaves the back men stranded and doesn't give you much of a winning game plan. I mean you're hoping White can't jump his back man and then you can attack, but the attack is a little thin since you have 4 men back.

So even though it gives up the 20 point, 20/10(2) does some good stuff. Keeps the checkers somewhat connected, controls most of the board, gives you some flexibility, and blocks White's back man.