Forum Archive : Strategy--Checker play

Playing doublets From:   Grunty Address:   gruntingdwarf@yahoo.com Date:   5 January 2008 Subject:   Playing doublets Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   b93d6f74-9f07-469d-abee-9100fa6db951@j78g2000hsd.googlegroups.com Call it the New Year spirit -- I feel like giving a useful hint to non- expert players. Perhaps many beginner and intermediate players aren't aware of the following considerations regarding the play of doublets (duplicated dice). Since doublets offer many more choices for you to play and err, they're an excellent benchmark to assess your own checker-play skill progress. Once you find yourself consistently matching your doublet play with the top choice indicated by your analysis program (set at an expert or world-class level of course), you can be certain your whole checker play has reached a very strong level. Steps in assessing a doublet play: [0] Identify your top priority goal in the current situation. [1] Identify the first one (or two or three) out of the four checkers to move, that best fit your top goal. So far, identical task as on a regular roll. [2] Once settled your top priority moves, you will assess the most efficient use you can do of the remaining checkers to move. You use a similar approach, eventually considering a second-priority goal. This step is obviously specific to doublet rolls. Like in regular rolls, the biggest mistakes in playing doublets are due to failing [0]. Second biggest mistakes are due to failing [1]. Mistakes at [2] aren't so costly but still can make a difference since they represent additional benefits being wasted. I'm an expert player, still I misplay doublets more often than I should. It's a good practice to train yourself to optimally play doublets, because it will then be a lot easier for you to optimally play regular rolls. When reviewing a game analysis, pay special attention to how you played doublets. Have a nice year.   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Strategy--Checker play

Avoiding major oversights  (Chuck Bower+, Mar 2008) 

Bearing off with contact  (Walter Trice, Dec 1999) 

Bearing off with contact  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 1998) 

Blitzing strategy  (Michael J. Zehr, July 1997) 

Blitzing strategy  (Fredrik Dahl, July 1997) 

Blitzing technique  (Albert Silver+, July 2003) 

Breaking anchor  (abc, Mar 2004) 

Breaking contact  (Alan Webb+, Oct 1999) 

Coming under the gun  (Kit Woolsey, July 1996) 

Common errors  (David Levy, Oct 2009) 

Containment positions  (Brian Sheppard, July 1998) 

Coup Classique  (Paul Epstein+, Dec 2006) 

Cube ownership considerations  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1996) 

Cube-influenced checker play  (Rew Francis+, Apr 2003) 

Defending against a blitz  (Michael J. Zehr, Jan 1995) 

Estimating in volatile situations  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1997) 

Gammonish positions  (Michael Manolios, Nov 1999) 

Golden point  (Henry Logan+, Nov 2002) 

Hitting loose in your home board  (Douglas Zare, June 2000) 

Holding games  (Casual_Observer, Jan 1999) 

How to trap an anchor  (Timothy Chow+, Apr 2010) 

Jacoby rule consideration  (Ron Karr, Nov 1996) 

Kamikaze plays  (christian munk-christensen+, Nov 2010) 

Kleinman Count for bringing checkers home  (Øystein Johansen, Feb 2001) 

Late loose hits  (Douglas Zare+, Aug 2007) 

Mutual holding game  (Ron Karr, Dec 1996) 

Pay now or pay later?  (Stuart Katz, MD, Nov 1997) 

Pay now or pay later?  (Stephen Turner, Mar 1997) 

Pay now or play later?  (Hank Youngerman+, Sept 1998) 

Play versus a novice  (Courtney S Foster+, Apr 2004) 

Playing doublets  (Grunty, Jan 2008) 

Playing when opponent has one man back  (Kit Woolsey, May 1995) 

Prime versus prime  (Albert Silver+, Aug 2006) 

Prime versus prime  (Michael J. Zehr, Mar 1996) 

Saving gammon  (Bill Riles, Oct 2009) 

Saving gammon  (Ron Karr, Dec 1997) 

Splitting your back men  (KL Gerber+, Nov 2002) 

Splitting your back men  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 

Trap play problem  (Brian Sheppard, Feb 1997) 

When in doubt  (Stick+, Apr 2011) 

When to run the last checker  (Stick Rice+, Jan 2009) 

When you can't decide  (John O'Hagan, Oct 2009) 

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