Why so terrible? - 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.

Why so terrible?

Post Reply Subscribe

...

08-26-2019 , 09:05 AM

grayling

stranger

Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 2

White - Pips 141 (+23)

Black - Pips 118 (-23)
Black to Play 5-2
Created with Diagram Builder

I hit 18/16, which XG approves, but then continued 16/11; why is that so much worse than 18/13?

18/16 16/11 rates about -0.17 vs 18/16 18/13 (and is only about the 7th best move overall).

The number of return hits seem similarly large in both cases, so what else is going on?

Quote

08-26-2019 , 02:08 PM

_Z_

adept

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 720

If you keep the checkers connected with 18/16* 18/13, you're going to have quite a few more rolls to safety both of them after a miss by White.

Also, you have a cube on on all or most of the misses and the cube will be a lot stronger if you have the checkers on the 16 and the 13 vs. the 18 and the 11. So that factors in to the equity difference. If you give the cube to White and evaluate the 5-2, the error is bit smaller.

Quote

08-27-2019 , 04:31 AM

grayling

stranger

Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 2

Thanks for this, Z. And I see what you mean about the cube - that wasn't part of my thinking at all. Many thanks.

Quote

Post Reply Subscribe

...