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Check out Nick Blasier’s new deck based on his book!

Mochy's Blunders

I downloaded 100 Mochy matches from Backgammon Studio and created an Anki card for each of Mochy's blunders, for a total of 261 cards. Take a quiz on these difficult decisions and find out where you did better than the champion!

Nick Blasier - Adjusting to Match Play

Nick Blasier was kind enough to send me 456 XG position files from his great new book "Adjusting to Match Play" to create an Anki deck from. It is the perfect companion when studying his book! Of course, Nick's explanations are very educational and a must read, so visit his website
https://nickblasier.weebly.com/
and buy his great book if you don't already have it!

Which Point

It frequently happens that you have the choice between different important points. For example, you could either make an advanced anchor or a good inner board point. Once you have mastered the positions from this deck, you should have a good idea which factors to consider.

Against Backgame

Playing against a backgame is difficult. The positions from this deck deal with the most common problems like: “Should I hit additional checkers? Should I try to get hit in order to destroy my opponent’s timing? Should I keep my prime in front of my opponent’s anchors or should I start breaking it?”

3^rd roll 1

It is very important to find the correct moves in the very early stages of the game simply because these positions come up over and over again. The positions in this deck deal with typical problems in the opening, for instance: ”Should I hit or rather make an important point? Should I escape with one of my back checkers or play for contact? Should I split my back checkers or should I rather try to improve my front position?”

3^rd roll 2

More 3^rd roll positions. Note that all the positions are the result of correct checker plays on the two previous moves. In that sense they are “realistic” positions.

4^th roll 1

Like in the 3^rd roll positions it is your second decision of the game but, unlike before, your opponent has already made two moves which generally leads to more complex decisions.

4^th roll 2

More 4^th roll positions dealing with different topics that arise in the early game.

Bear Off

With this deck you can improve you bear off technique. In some positions it is only about maximum safety while in others you have to decide how much risk you should take in order to win more gammons.

Hit Loose

One of the most common decisions in backgammon is whether to hit loose in your homeboard. When the play works, you can often improve your position significantly. However, by hitting loose you expose yourself at least to a direct shot. After a return hit you will lose a lot of ground in the race and your position will deteriorate. The positions of this deck should give you a feel when taking the risk is warranted and when it is not.

Leaving the Anchor 1

Establishing an advanced anchor is among the top priorities in the early game. At some point in the game, however, you will have to break your anchor and try to get your checkers home. This usually involves considerable risks, and thus makes it difficult to find the right time for abandoning the anchor. The positions in this deck illustrate the factors that influence the decision.

Leaving the Anchor 2

The decision whether to leave your anchor or not comes up very often, and there are many factors to consider. This is why I made a second deck on the topic.

One Back Step Up

Getting your lone back checker to safe territory is usually your top priority, especially when you are leading in the race. Stepping up in your opponent’s home board gets the checker closer to home but comes with the risk of it being attacked. Whether you should expose yourself to the attack or whether you should stay back is the topic of this deck.

Prime Slot

The fastest way of extending your prime is to slot the point that you want to make and cover the blot after it gets missed. By studying the positions in this deck you can get a feel for when the risk is worth the reward.