Author: Orad Reshef

Having learned how to identify the optimal bearoff positions for 2 and 3 checkers, you might be interested in learning what to do with 4 checkers! Well, I don’t know that, but I do know the optimal position for 15 checkers! It was actually formally calculated in the early 90s using early computer software. The…

Following our lesson on the optimal placement for the last 2 checkers during bearoff, you might be wondering what a good strategy is for 3 checkers. There’s a great trick, developed by Stuart Thomson, that works in most situations: the High-Mid-Low trick. We start with the checkers on the 6-, 5-, and 4-pts. Let’s call…

The first trick applies in situations where we’re down to the wire in a race against our opponent with only 2 checkers remaining on the board. The question is where to place them to maximize the chances of bearing off both in a single roll. This seems super inconsequential, but the wrong play is usually…

Throughout this module, we’ve gone through different situations from every game plan with prescribed advice. However, not every position can be neatly classified into categories with tidy rules. Sometimes, we need to use judgement to evaluate cube action. Building sound judgement takes experience and analysis, but here is a small shortcut to get you going.…

Let’s start with the good news: there’s a backgammon idiom that says “prime vs primes are always a take.” That conveniently takes care of half of the equation! With that out of the way, we can spend the rest of the article learning when to double in a priming game. Now comes the bad news:…