Want to know when the potential reward justifies taking a cube in dangerous situations? Check out this YouTube video by Zdeněk Žižka, the youngest player to make Grandmaster, and finalist in the 2022 Backgammon World Championship. ZZ, as he is affectionately known, says the key lies in a qualitative assessment of your game if you subsequently get lucky or unlucky. Taking is right if you have a “great game” after getting lucky and “backdoor chances” if you are unlucky. Dropping is right if you have to get lucky twice to have a good chance of winning. You should drop when you’re barely in the game even when you get lucky once, and if you get unlucky, you’re at risk of getting gammoned. The video contains excellent examples to help you hone your assessment skills.
Big takeaway? Even if it’s a scary situation or you are being blitzed, you may have a take if the future has enough promising ways to win. Backgammon. Winning. Women. sponsored a Zoom session on November 8, 2023, with ZZ presenting his “stories” for taking or dropping cubes in blitzing, volatile, or scary positions and illustrating his approach with excellent examples.
