2023 - Position 108

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Unlimited Games. How should Blue play 54?

Very few people get this right because they do not ‘see’ 6/1*, 5/1 as a candidate play. We are taught not to give up the 5-pt and so, in the main, we don’t. I certainly didn’t consider the play over the board where I played 13/9, 6/1*. That play is only a small mistake, but it is still a mistake.

This problem teaches you to think the unthinkable and that is a key part of winning backgammon.

The logic of 6/1*, 5/1 is that the blot on the 5-pt gets more cover numbers next turn and especially hit and cover numbers because of White’s blot on Blue’s bar-point.

Now, be honest. Did you even consider 6/1*, 5/1?