Modified Match to 5 Points

After discussion with IM Bart and IM Bug I have decided it’s best to go with my original plan of Match-to-5 but with the following difference:

If either side doubles and opponent refuses, then Hero can request the game be played out anyway to see what would have happened (obviously without affecting the actual score). This has the effect of slowing down the match (although I guess that conceding is acceptable if things turn from terrible to okay-okay-okay-it-really-is-hopeless).

Below is an “example-only” state of the match, defined by current match score, the stake of the current game, ownership of the cube and (last but not least if you pardon the terrible cliché) the game-state for the current game. In this example, Hero leads Villain 2-1 in a match to 5 and the centered cube indicates both sides have the right to make the next double. Well done if you recognise the game state was cut-n-pasted from our previous game 😊

NOTE: in Backgammon it is conventional for a centered cube to have the number ‘64’ instead of ‘1’ since no confusion is possible assuming both players are rational. If the cube actually does reach 64 in a “money-game” or “match-to-more-than-64-points” and the game is played at the local brewery then it’s heavy odds-on that at least one player is not putting in his best effort 😉

The first hand will start some time tomorrow. Good luck!