Great Games 2: Robertie versus Ballard

Bill Robertie << read more about this coach >>

Published on Dec 28, 10

In this episode, I’ll talk about a long, involved game I played against Nack Ballard in one of the Reno Invitationals. Nack has been one of the best players in the world for a long time, and this game was from a 21-point match with the score at 16-all. Whoever won this game would take control of the match. The game begins with a lot of early hitting, typical of good modern backgammon. We then enter a long middle game where I have a lot of men back, but a small prime on my side of the board for compensation. The players then struggle for control of the outfield, and I’ll explain how important the outfield can be in these positions, and point out a number of errors made by both sides. Episode 2 ends with a strong cube turn, just as Nack’s game is about to turn critical. I’ll finish this great game in Episode 3.

Backgammon

BG

Lesson

Stakes: N/A