The "Internet Backgammon" feature on certain MS operating systems has a result that I'm not sure of.

If my opponent doubles me (either a re-double, or an initial one, I'm not 100% sure) and I resign, the next game that we play finds my Double button disabled.

However, I was upset to find that HIS double is still active.


Is this a seldom-used rule, that I can't find? Or, is this a software bug?

If true, it's a software bug.

So, there should be no disabling of either opponents' doubling cube, except perhaps when their board is blocked and they have a piece on the rail, as well....

Thanks

Larry,

You sure it's not the Crawford rule?

Yes. I surrendered well before the end, and HIS doubling ability wasn't shut off (as I was surprised to find out).

This is what I found for the Crawford rule- correct, correct?

"Crawford Rule
[Named for John R. Crawford.] A standard rule of match play. When the leading player comes within one point (4) of winning the match, the following game is played without a doubling cube. This one game without doubling is called the Crawford Game. After the Crawford game, the doubling cube is back in play again."

http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?crawford+rule

Similar problems have happened to me when playing there. I thought maybe it was a "feature", until this last time when my opponent doubled me ootb.

Yup. If it wasn't a Crawford game that is ****ed up.

As far as I know, it's just single game play. I'll pay attention the next time I hit that kind of situation.



BTW, I'm not sure I really understand the point of the Crawford rule, used in a tourney match play format.

Is the idea that a single game shouldn't decide the match, if someone is way behind? All this seems to do is protect the leader, especially if he has a large lead in match points.

Does blocking doubling give any advantage to the trailing player? Since there is no gain from winning more match points that required, having the leader "abuse" the doubling cube to press the trailing player gains nothing.
The trailing player .... oh, wait, does that give the trailing player too much power from doubling, as the leader can't benefit?


http://www.bkgm.com/rules/match.html

Originally (talking the 1930s here) matches were played without the Crawford rule. People noticed that the leader didn't have much of an edge toward the end of a relatively close match because of all the forced redoubling by the trailer.

John Crawford was one of the top players of the time and thought up this rule, which gave the leader a little more of an edge by postponing the forced doubling for a turn. People tried it for awhile and generally liked it. It was adopted and named after Crawford.