FIBS Board backgammon forum

I think it's a question of that old chestnut: Put your blots where they're most useful, and, for me, that means not diving deep into the home table, although that's the comfortable safe move. It would be nice to split the backrunners but that leaves a lot of blots which feels too dangerous. My choice is thus to slot the best points that we'd like to block, the bar point and the 3-point.

9/7 8/3

I am with the bunny on this one..nothing easy or great to do - so what is legal and useful.  I would rather slot the 6 than move that one to the 2, so then stacking is bad, and that doesn't leave many other things worth doing.  I am easy about slotting here, as I am not unduly afraid of being hit right now.

One of the most useful guidelines for early play, first pointed out to me by Paul Lamford (gandp on fibs), is that if your opponent has taken a high anchor, the 21pt in this case, you must immediately go after one for yourself. Why? Because playing with a high anchor against a low anchor has such strong positional advantages. With his 21pt anchor, rkb commands the team's outfield, making it hard for them to deploy builders and almost impossible for them to build a containing prime. He, on the other hand can pull down builders at his leisure if the team stays on the ace point and build a winning prime. Both the previous correspondents are nervous about spreading out blots at this stage, but you have to do it. Blots equate to flexibility and the opportunity to get quickly into a mutual holding game. Of course blots can be attacked, but being hit is not the only sort of risk. The risk of being trapped back on the ace point is worse in the long run.
I would play 24/22, 8/3.

I agree with dorpel here. Splitting is absolutely mandatory. However I wouldn't play 8/3 because creating more blots could make things hard later if we don't immediatly cover it. So 24/22 13/8. It strips the mid but nothing looks particularly good here.

Quote from: diane on June 26, 2009, 08:27:59 PM
I am not unduly afraid of being hit right now.

:wacko: I am not sure how that translates to

QuoteBoth the previous correspondents are nervous about spreading out blots at this stage, but you have to do it. Blots equate to flexibility and the opportunity to get quickly into a mutual holding game. Of course blots can be attacked, but being hit is not the only sort of risk.

I can see the wisdom in this move, splitting is probably what I would do if the board were the right way around  ;) - but sadly can't change my mind should I need to, cos the poll isn't set up to allow me to be a woman ;)  :laugh: :laugh:

QuoteHowever I wouldn't play 8/3 because creating more blots could make things hard later if we don't immediatly cover it. So 24/22 13/8. It strips the mid but nothing looks particularly good here.

The blot on the 3pt is an embarassment after the sequence where the team gets a shot on the next turn, hits it with a number that doesn't cover and then gets hit back. In all other circumstances, the great majority, it is a useful slot, unstacking the 6pt, avoiding stacking the 8pt and avoiding stripping the midpoint. In the early part of the game, good structure is extremely important and as the home boards are not yet dangerous, very cheap.