I would like to add a little extra strategic concept to this fantastic video another reason to play safe if opponent has the 3pt board is not only because of the extra dancing numbers, its because even if you enter, escape is harder due to some numbers being primed depending on where we enter, and because we have the weak board, our opponent can continue to attack us with extra impunity as we lack defence to make such attacks too risky to undertake
The likelihood of getting trapped if hit is of course an important factor here, but another really crucial factor here is also the pipcount. If you modify the pipcount a bit, you will get completely different results. Knowing the pipcount can be really important in letting you find the correct play. You need to weight the cost of getting hit versus potential upside. If you move one checker from the white's 6-point and one checker from white's 8-point to the midpoint, now black is 7 pips ahead in the race before the roll. hitting will become a huge blunder, since the upside of the hit is smaller and the cost of getting hit is higher, since you're doing so well in the race anyway. Each factor will be pulling in one direction, but the pipcount will often trump the other factors, especially, since you have escaped the back checkers to full freedom and the pipcount is likely to determine whether you need to play for the race or hit loose to prevent the checker from jumping your prime. I have made some variants with different pip count in the different variants where the bold hitting play is correct in the variant where the opponent has stronger board and better prime in the front position and and the safe nonhitting play is correct in the variant where the opponent has a weaker board and weaker priming structure in his front position, just because of the importance of the race and the difference in the cost of the opponent escaping your prime with his last back checker. Often in backgammon, the pipcount will give you the answers you need.
I would like to add a little extra strategic concept to this fantastic video
another reason to play safe if opponent has the 3pt board is not only because of the extra dancing numbers, its because even if you enter, escape is harder due to some numbers being primed depending on where we enter, and because we have the weak board, our opponent can continue to attack us with extra impunity as we lack defence to make such attacks too risky to undertake
Thank you for the great analysis!
The likelihood of getting trapped if hit is of course an important factor here, but another really crucial factor here is also the pipcount. If you modify the pipcount a bit, you will get completely different results. Knowing the pipcount can be really important in letting you find the correct play. You need to weight the cost of getting hit versus potential upside. If you move one checker from the white's 6-point and one checker from white's 8-point to the midpoint, now black is 7 pips ahead in the race before the roll. hitting will become a huge blunder, since the upside of the hit is smaller and the cost of getting hit is higher, since you're doing so well in the race anyway. Each factor will be pulling in one direction, but the pipcount will often trump the other factors, especially, since you have escaped the back checkers to full freedom and the pipcount is likely to determine whether you need to play for the race or hit loose to prevent the checker from jumping your prime.
I have made some variants with different pip count in the different variants where the bold hitting play is correct in the variant where the opponent has stronger board and better prime in the front position and and the safe nonhitting play is correct in the variant where the opponent has a weaker board and weaker priming structure in his front position, just because of the importance of the race and the difference in the cost of the opponent escaping your prime with his last back checker.
Often in backgammon, the pipcount will give you the answers you need.
Thank you for the great analysis!