Credits
Opening rolls from last week’s Swedish Open - Michy vs Aref Alipour
XG skin design by Rain
Analysis
Another Study Corner focussed on opening replies. They come up in every game so it’s good to know the drill. With this fairly unhelpful 52 you have three main choices, a mixture of hitting, splitting, or building.
24/22 6/1* 24/22 13/8 13/11 6/1*
Which do you pick? At the opening stage you’re looking to make points, hit blots, start to escape back checkers, and threaten the outfield. You could play relatively safe with 24/22 13/8, but that’s too passive too early. It’s a definite mistake.
This is one of those times when hitting loose on the ace-point is correct. But only if you treat it as a ‘tempo’ play - a play that distracts your opponent (they have to spend half their next roll coming in off the bar) and gives you time to do something elsewhere. You must use that tempo to split your back checkers. If instead you mistakenly think you’re starting a blitz (which you’re not - you just don’t have the ammunition) and opt to bring a builder down with the 2 you’re committing a chunky blunder on your very first roll. 24/22 6/1* is the correct move here. If you played something else it’s perhaps time to brush up on your opening replies.
(Michy made the right move of course)