Blunders from my 2nd Round Match Part 1

Here is my first blunder. It is Game 3 of our match and the score is tied 1-1 to 19. I like to cube early in matches but this is just too early...



I need another high point in board to be able to double this.

Here is my second blunder - again from the 3rd game with the scores tied 1-1.



I got scared of my own shadow and lifted the blot. Give that I out-board my opponent 5-2 I can afford to play much bigger here. Getting hit is hardly a disaster. 21/16 13/11 is right and lifting is horrible. Lifting is only right here when you give your opponent a 5-point board too.

This next position is from Game 5 and I am losing 5-2.



The 6 is played 17/11. I played 9/5 rather than 13/9 with the 4 - an oversight and a costly one. Making points is good. And here it reduces shots at the blot on the 11-point that you are leaving (52 doesn't hit after making the 9-point).

My fourth blunder demonstrates some of the differences between live and on-line backgammon. This is a critically race dependent decision and I miscounted and thought that I was winning after the roll.



This next blunder is a mistake that I really should have ironed out of my game. I am losing 7-5 in game 8 of our 19 point match



The correct play is to come up to the 23 point and then there is only one sensible way to play the last two 1s - 8/6. Instead I stayed back on the 24 point and played 8/7(3). Not coming up to the 23 point is very, very bad when you are blocked in like this. Move Black's 2 checkers from his 7-point to his 8-point (allowing a checker on the 24 to escape with sixes) and 25/23 8/6 is now a blunder and staying on the 24 is right by a lot.