Chow’s Checkerplay Challenge #1

Test your backgammon skill by finding the top play in each of the following ten challenging problems!
Scoring: Each problem is worth 2 points. In some cases, if you choose a play that is close enough to the top play (as determined by an eXtreme Gammon 3-ply rollout), you can earn 1 point or even 2 points. Be sure to note the match score when solving each problem.

Problem 1: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '1O '1O2X3X|   | '3X1O ' ' '|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       1 5       |
| '2O2O2X2O2O|   | '1O3O1X '4X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 161, Black 127
Position ID: sHPwBAY2mw4IEg Match ID: cIkUAAAAAAAA


Problem 2: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '2O2X '2X3X|   |2X2X1X ' ' '|
|                   | 1X|                   |
|                 |   |       2 5       |
| '2O2O1O1O3O| 2 |2O '2O ' '2X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 124, Black 115
Position ID: zG4LA0C2uhkAGA Match ID: UQkVAAAAAAAA


Problem 3: 1 point match

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
|2O2X '2X2X3X|   |2X ' '1O '2O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       3 4       |
| ' ' '1X2O2O|   |2O2O2O ' '3X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: gnubg 114, tchow 159
Position ID: ZruBAwSwbcMEMA Match ID: cIkxAAAAAAAA


Problem 4: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '1O '2X '4X| 2 | '3X2X ' '1O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 |   |       3 1       |
|2O1X2O2O2O3O|   |1O ' ' ' '3X|
|                   | 1O|                   |
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 136, Black 112
Position ID: mOeGAxCz7QIBSA Match ID: QYkFAAAAAAAA


Problem 5: 1 point match

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
|2O '2X2X2X2X|   |2O ' ' ' '3O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       6 1       |
| ' ' ' '1X5O|   | '3O ' '1X5X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 135, Black 177
Position ID: bBvwBQLgc3AwMA Match ID: cAknAAAAAAAA


Problem 6: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '2O2X2X3X2X|   |2X ' ' ' ' '|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       6 3       |
|3X2O2O2O3O3O|   | '1O ' '1X '|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 141, Black 105
Position ID: bLcBATi23QkAGA Match ID: cAkPAAAAAAAA


Problem 7: Gammon go (2 point match, Black 0, White 1, Crawford)

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '1O2X '2X3X|   |1O2X ' ' '3O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       6 5       |
|1X '1X ' '5O|   | '3O2O ' '4X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 148, Black 152
Position ID: zM7gASTgc8NBEA Match ID: 8AlXABAAAAAA


Problem 8: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| ' '2X '1X5X| 2 | '3X ' ' '3O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 |   |       5 3       |
| ' '4O2O4O2O|   |2X ' ' ' '2X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 127, Black 91
Position ID: TJ+DwQC8vQEHAA Match ID: QYkOAAAAAAAA


Problem 9: Gammon save (2 point match, Black 1, White 0, Crawford)

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '2X1O2X3X3X|   |2X ' ' '1O2O|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       2 1       |
| '1O3O2X3O2O|   | '2O '1X ' '|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 116, Black 116
Position ID: ZncDBAY6N4MFCA Match ID: 8AlFAAAACAAA


Problem 10: Money play with Jacoby

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| '1O '2X2X3X|   | '2X ' ' '1X|
|                   |   |                   |
|                 | 1 |       5 1       |
|2X '1X '2O3O|   |3O4O ' '2O2X|
+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

Pip counts: White 160, Black 126
Position ID: 2M7QADKwu8cAEA Match ID: cIkGAAAAAAAA


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