Revision Time 2

Another revision position. Hopefully it seems easier this time round.

This position comes from Walter Trice’s ‘Backgammon Boot Camp’ and aims to check that you’re comfortable with priorities during the always-important middle game.

Here you need to run your back checkers, clean up your blots, strengthen your inner board, and prevent White from anchoring. So what’s urgent and what’s not. What needs to happen now and what can wait.

With two on the bar you can afford to play pretty freely with blots. The absolute top priority is preventing White from anchoring, and getting ammunition into range to build your board. The right play to achieve that is 13/9 13/10. If White rolls a 4 then you’ll want to switch track and start tidying your blots, but that’s not your task this move.