30 March 2024, Clissold Arms
This was one of the best backgammon days out one could imagine, with glorious Spring weather and outside play for the hardy; a draw of 64 and a great mix of people from the old to the young; a broad range of ability; and a startling surprise for the winner.
On a day of shocks and drama aplenty, there was a fascinating four cube by David Lazarus [black 2-1, match to seven] vs Sara Sathyanandha. Take or pass? Or is it even a cube? Answer at the end (with a Brucie bonus lesson to boot).
The third round saw a tense clash with David Brown having to let spouse Lady Seely down gently, whilst I drew Tim Line, just like last year. We’re boxing at the same weight and enjoy complex middle games. Both times I’ve squeaked through. Tim has seen a lot in his career and has some remarkable stories, one of which is possibly holding the record for the quickest first round win at the World Championships at 24 minutes. I am not going to claim Tim takes everything, but I’ve never had a pass from him. He laps up the volatile, action doubles like they’re Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and frequently turns the game. All rather disconcerting. And what great one-liners. In one game soon found himself with three on the 24 and three on the 23, with no points made by me. “Nackgammon with knobs on,” he observed quick as a flash.
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