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Some thoughts about retrograde backgammon

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Thursday, 12 June 2014, at 5:36 a.m.

In Response To: Some thoughts about retrograde backgammon (Timothy Chow)

I have turned a position someone recently posted into "The Great Prime vs Prime Problem," though I have not yet posted it, and it happens in fact to be a "proof game." I thought I'd wait to post it until more people have digested and perhaps responded to my nactated MCG-Mochy match post. :)

The opening position can be re-reached in as few as five moves. Once re-reached, it can be re-re-reached in just four moves. This four move solution is a "proof sequence" that can almost be considered a "proof game."

(I am not the only one to have devised this sequence, but I believe I was the first. Not that it's so clever, though it is pretty and harder to find than it might sound. Mostly, I'm describing this puzzle as a possible starting point.)

Starting from the opening position, I've devised a perfectly played (zero-error) sequence (that I haven't shown anyone yet) that reaches a position where one side has a double, the next roll the other side has a redouble, the next roll the first player has a redouble, and so on, for as many moves as one likes, then the sequence continues (still perfectly played throughout) until the new points that have been developed on both sides are broken and eventually the starting position is re-reached.

I'm interested in proof sequences or proof games and backgammon puzzles in general if several others here find them interesting, but to be honest I don't want to invest the time continuing to create and post what I find if only a small handful of people show enthusiasm. That's why I've mostly focused on well-played sequences, which require a different skill set than legally played sequences, and provide something more for the practical player.

OTOH, if others take the time to post backgammon puzzles that I find interesting (and the header makes it clear that that is the subject matter so that I notice it and click on it), I'll be glad to respond.

Nack

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