| Books |
From Better Backgammon, by Tim Holland
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| White to play 2-2. |
The correct play is to move both men from Black’s 12 point to White’s 9 point. This position is an example of when a prime is a liability rather than an asset. To make the bar point you would also be forced to leave a blot on Black’s 12 point. You can ill afford to be hit with Black’s position, as strong as it is.
For example, let’s assume you have made the prime, leaving your blot on Black’s 12 point, and Black then rolls a 1 and something, hitting your blot. You then roll 2 and 5 — (or 1 and 5 or 3 and 5). You enter on Black’s 2 point and are forced to break that prime you so carefully made. Not only have you broken it, but you have been forced to leave an exposed man. Even if he is not hit, you will find that your board will rapidly deteriorate unless you are able to escape from Black’s board. This assumes your blot is hit. Now assume it isn’t hit. You may now encounter difficulties in clearing your bar point preparatory to bearing off. One of the criteria you should use when determining whether you should make primes in positions similar to this, is whether you are trying to block your opponent’s escape or whether you would prefer that he did. Obviously there is little chance that you’ll lose this game in a race. You could lose, however, if, in bearing off, you exposed a blot which was hit.
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Rollout
 Tom Keith 2013 |
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Money play White owns 2-cube White rolls 2-2 1296 games with VR Checker play: 3-ply Cube play: XG Roller |
| 2-2: | Game | G | BG | Equity | ||||
| 1 | 13/11(2), 9/5 |
W L |
.8222 .1778 |
.2034 .0041 |
.0101 .0001 | +0.9946 |
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| 2 | 13/9(2) |
W L |
.8574 .1426 |
.1843 .0021 |
.0081 .0001 | +0.9920 | (0.0026) |
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| 3 | 13/11(2), 6/4, 5/3 |
W L |
.7949 .2051 |
.2006 .0115 |
.0098 .0003 | +0.9402 | (0.0544) | |
| 4 | 13/11, 13/9, 6/4 |
W L |
.8283 .1717 |
.1827 .0068 |
.0076 .0003 | +0.9234 | (0.0712) | |
| 5 | 13/11, 13/9, 5/3 |
W L |
.8154 .1846 |
.1871 .0070 |
.0081 .0003 | +0.9210 | (0.0736) |
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