alanback: You guys seem quite worried about someone missing their chance to double while sitting on the bar with the opponent's home base closed. It's hard for me to imagine that this would happen as this is a very disadvantagous type of position to find one's self in, but for the sake of arguing and pretending that the doubling cube is here, I'll go along with it. As I said, when the home base is first closed, the opponent would get to see it as if it was his turn and he'd have to do what we do now when we can't move. If he really wanted to double, he'd have his chance. After that, the player would finish his turn and then it'd be the opponent with checker on the bar's turn. If he still has thoughts of doubling, say a point is open with a blot on it, this would be his chance to do it. Otherwise, he rolls the dice.

All of you that want this doubling cube have to realize that when your opponent has the cube it means you are the one that has the option to double the stakes. On this site, that would mean when your turn comes up, the dice have not been rolled yet. This would be so to afford you the chance to double. I imagine you'd get a two buttons []double or []roll the dice. If you click double, the dice aren't rolled and the turn passes to your opponent who must decide to play on with doubled stakes or resign the game at the current stakes. I can see lots of strategy in making these decisions during an extended match and this is probably why so many avid Backgammon players like the doubling cube in the game. I believe Fencer said he will keep the current version of the game too. So when creating a new game or tournament, you'll have check boxes for the cube or not. Even if the cube is not chosen, I would still like gammons and backgammons count in a series of games. I like playing for them during a game and avoiding them if my opponent is trying for them. Even without the doubling cube, getting gammoned in a two or more game match ought to count for two games. That's how I've always played the game.

The doubling cube is something I've never played with and am anxious to try it out. I hope my learning curve is fairly steep, or I might be ruing typing this someday. :)