Why this level of aggression? Won't I lose?
I'm still a beginner so I need this explained to me.
Backgammon Galaxy recommend these type of plays often. If I hit my opponent, as suggested and he gets back on the board hitting me back, I just lose. My position is so far ahead why risk it? What am I failing to understand about these type of positions?
The following are during the same coin game on back to back turns.
3 Replies
Thinking about this overnight I realized I can't lose because of the 6 prime. However, won't a draw happen if he hits me back and creates a 21 point?
There are no draws in BG. If you are hit, what will happen?
* Either you dance, where nothing bad can happen to you because your opponent is behind a 6 prime
* or you come in and have no issues to come out
But if you're not hit you increase our gammon chances.
BG is allways about maximizing your equity.
Your opponent will be forced to keep moving while you’re on the bar. If he closes you out, you will be guaranteed to not move. When you have a 6 prime this is actually good for you. Your opponent cannot move his back checker, so he must continue moving his front checkers. Once all of these are in his home board, he no longer can move sixes, but he must move 6/1 with his fives, 6/2 or 5/1 with his fours, and so on. Inevitably he will be forced to break one or more of his home board points and you will enter your checker from the bar and bring it around.
The idea of hitting is to advance your prime. With the six prime this is risk free as described above. You will use checkers from the back of your prime to cover your blot when you aren’t hit. Then you slot the front again and repeat. It isn’t risk free since your opponent can jump the prime, but in some situations you want to do this even if you have a five prime. Improving at bg involves learning when to take risks to make substantial gains. Turning a five prime into a six prime is such a gain, and it can be worth the risk, depending on the situation elsewhere on the board.
