Backgammon

I play online backgammon to ward off an online Scrabble addiction. Sometimes, like as of late, the online backgammon becomes a problem itself.

There's a certain amount of luck in any backgammon game, but online, the laws of probability are completely suspended. I do believe that all three places I've played--MSN, Yahoo, and the one that links from the computer's games menu--are rigged for maximum chaos. You can play a perfectly sound and logical game, getting to a board position where the only possible way you can lose is two or three improbable rolls in a row, and that will happen with improbable frequency. It keeps you playing.

Playing the computers are different. Unlike chess or Scrabble computers--playing Quackle is like playing the world's greatest Scabble player--backgammon computers are as dumb as a rock (or at least the ones on those sites are). All they know how to do is hit, which they do indiscriminately and without regard to leaving men uncovered. Most games against the computer end with five to ten of its men stuck in your inner board. I'm not a chess player, but if a computer can be programmed to play chess brilliantly, there must be smart backgammon computers too--most moves are automatic, and whatever intuition is involved, surely there's not nearly as much as in chess.

My backgammon thread did not take off.

Since posting above, I switched to a different site that I frequent in fits and starts. It's even more probability-defying than the three I mentioned; it's quite ridiculous, and that's what causes me to vacate for a weeks or months at a time. You're playing other people, not a computer.

A game last week:

https://phildellio.tripod.com/clemenza.jpg

Why I took the screenshot: I'm guest#7669674. It was like a Twilight Zone episode. (Would have tried to chat, but as a guest I can't.)

I don't like playing on a computer but I play an excellent app on my phone called Backgammon NJ.

you are blue, and you roll a six and a five

(for this exercise i don't really care about what orange has done, but if you do, i'd like to hear why)

do you send A all the way to L or do you send both A & B to G?

https://i.imgur.com/XGlXGnB.jpg

I think G is probably the better move but I find that position to be tricky to play, so I'd be tempted to do L

Common dilemma. I always favoured sending A to L; if you don't, there's a good chance you're still going to have the two of them sitting at G late in the game. Trying to free up just the one guy later in the game, I found that easier.

yeah i feel like sending them both to G involves hoping for doubles

That's the only way you're going to get them to safety. And likely, it'll probably have to be 4-4 or 5-5; lower can still be awkward, and 6-6 probably won't help.

I don't think the G play is hoping for doubles - it's threatening to hit their pieces that are trying to get past G. It's an aggresive play.

but with both at G, orange can just dump whatever it wants A-F with no consequences

It's tempting to move both to G to block a six from orange's M but I agree, you're letting orange free to set up on A to F.