On Backgames and Timing
This was a position from
the AltDoubles quarterfinal match against RedTop & Doublefour and I
cant even take credit for it since it was one of them. Although the double hit
seems nice, a quick look ahead to some of the resulting positions
will tell you otherwise. First, not making the 23pt now decreases the odds of
having a playable 1-2 backgame. Second, if not hit back you are likely
to make the 5pt which means more dancing, more hitting and me just taking my
time waiting to go free. Time I have since I have a nice prime and a couple
of spares. Third, time could rapidly deteriorate for white leading to a
crushed board, perhaps some more checkers back, which leads us to fourth, a 10%
greater chance of being gammoned! That's basically how the game went and
they were lucky to escape the gammon with a last ditch hit on the ace
point.
Keys to Remember:
When your back is up against the
wall, timing, a playable backgame, and avoiding gammon
should definitely be on your mind. Securing a second point in your opponents
board when way behind is rarely a bad thing.
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