Credits
XG skin design by Rain
Analysis
OK - so quiz factor alert - it is of course a different answer for each match score.
The key to understanding this position is realising that Black has a lot of gammon threats.You have ten checkers in the zone and White has no anchor and a checker on the bar. Your three checkers back means you lack the ammunition to carry out a full blitz and close out White straightaway (which is why your overall winning chances aren’t so high), but in many games you’ll be able to keep White occupied and off-balance long enough to bring those checkers around. White’s lack of any home board means you don’t have to worry about the back checkers getting stuck. Knowing it’s a gammonish position should help to work out the right cube action:
c)Â trailing 0-4 you definitely whip the cube across, and White should be happy to drop and avoid you drawing level. Double/ Pass.
b) leading 4-0 you can’t fully utilise a doubled gammon, and your overall winning chances aren’t yet high enough. No Double / Take.
c)Â at 0-0 you want to cube, and White can comfortably take as they still have decent winning chances. Double / Take.
Any other cube decisions by either side are all big blunders.