The final, nocturnal game of my second BIC match against Eric Aries was marked by some interesting high cubes. We’re playing at my place on a Friday night (August 14, 2015) and we are keeping ourselves awake with coffee, dark chocolate, and dried fruits. A jazz music TV channel fills the room. The score is equal, 4-4, in a 11-point match.
Pos. 1: Johan (Blue) vs Eric (White), 4-4 in an 11-point match. Johan to play: redouble to 4? Take/Pass?
In Position 1, I (playing blue) am pondering a redouble to 4. After some reflection, I decide to go for it: the prospect of closing my board in the next move or two is too hard to resist.
The temptation is a treacherous one, however: according to a rollout by GNU Backgammon, the redouble is way too early (0,144 blunder). Eric correctly takes. I fail to cover and Eric fails to hit.
Cube analysis
Rollout cubeless equity +0,264 (Money: +0,268)
Cubeful equities:
1. No double +0,512
2. Double, pass +1,000 ( +0,488)
3. Double, take +0,367 ( -0,144)
Proper cube action: No redouble, take (22,8%)
Pos. 2: Johan (Blue) vs Eric (white), 4-4 in an 11-point match. Eric on roll: redouble to 8? Take/Pass?
A few moves later, Position 2 arises, with Eric, playing White, on roll. The tide has turned and a redouble to 8 is in the air. Eric wants to go home (it’s after midnight already, it’s a one-hour drive from my place to his, and on Saturday morning he needs to get up early) and he turns the cube.
If I pass, I’m trailing 4-8 to 11 points: 7-away 3-away amounts to about 25% match winning chances, so my memory tells me after some effort. I guess that my chances to win the game are higher than that, so I take.
Both the redouble and the take turn out to be correct. My game winning chances with the cube frozen at 8 are about 29%.
Cube analysis
Rollout cubeless equity +0,428 (Money: +0,428)
Cubeful equities:
1. Double, take +0,812
2. Double, pass +1,000 ( +0,188)
3. No double +0,722 ( -0,090)
Proper cube action: Redouble, take
Despite some heroic attempts, my straggler does not make it home safely and gets closed out. A few minutes later, Eric wraps up the game and the match. The weekend can start.
— JS