The Backgammon Quiz Book - #89

The first set of quizzes I'll look at will be taken from The Backgammon Quiz Book by Prince Joli Kansil, published in 1978 by Playboy Press. Joli Kansil, perhaps best known as the inventor of Bridgette, a popular 2 player version of bridge, was the backgammon editor of GAMES magazine. His quiz book contains 112 quizes for players players at all levels and for every aspect of the game. Each quiz shows a board position and 3 separate rolls to evaluate. His answers include the "right" move as well as one or two alternate plays, along with a little commentary. The used copy I aquired has the previous owner's answers penciled in, so I'll be including his picks as well as my own. We'll call the previous owner "Nick".

The first problem is #89, found in chapter 12, "Various Positional Plays." Here is the board:


The first roll Kansil gives us is snake eyes, or "the dog thow" as the ancient Roman's called it. Here is how Nick and I played it, followed by Kansil's answer:

Me: bar/24, 11/10, 6/5(2)
Nick: bar/24, 11/10, 6/5(2)
Kansil: bar/24, 11/10, 6/5(2)

Three minds with but a single thought. This one seems pretty obvious, though Kansil gives partial credit for 8/7 in lieu of 11/10. 11/10 is preferred because you are only 6 points from your 5 point and have a good chance to make the point next roll. 8/7, to me anyway, seems weak because I'd rather not fool around with my prime. What does GNU BG have to say on the matter?

1. Rollout bar/24 11/10 6/5(2) MWC: 50.96%
2. Rollout bar/24 8/7 6/5(2) MWC: 50.77% ( -0.18%)

So, GNU BG is on our side, giving the nod to 11/10. Score one for Kansil!