Taki "Flower-Power" Gammon

Rules of Play
The Taki "Flower-Power" Gammon is a challenging way to determine which of the 16 qualifying players will win the beautiful "Taki-Groovy" backgammon board.

The 16 qualifiers (eight charity ace-of-spades pulling winners and eight lucky Flower Power card qualifiers from Saturday afternoon) will play one game matches on Sunday, March 22 commencing at 11:00 a.m. The Flower-Power game setup is the same as normal backgammon with the following exceptions . . .
Diagram 1. Flower-Power starting position
Note that one of the checkers from each 13-point has become the “Flower Power” checker and is placed on the 24-point (the opponent's ace-point).

The “flower power” checker has very special powers:

1. It can hit any opponent’s single checker (including the “flower power” checker), but it can only be hit and sent to the bar by the opposing “flower power” checker.

2. It can never be primed:
Diagram 2. Black to play 4-4
White seemed safe, but she forgot about about the power of the flower. Black can combine two of his 4s and use them as a direct "8" roll leaping White's 6-prime 24/16. He should play his final two 4s 16/12*, 5/1.

3. A “flower power” checker sharing a point with other checkers can be moved off in any order the player chooses. For example:
Diagram 3. Black to play 6-5
Here Black’s correct play is to move his “flower power” checker off the 18-point to hit White’s “flower power” checker on his bar point.

Here’s another example:
Diagram 4. Black to play 5-4
In this setup, the correct play is to bear off the non-“flower power” checker from the 5-point and move 6/2. This leaves the loan “flower-power” blot safe from attack.

Do you have questions regarding Taki “Flower-Power” Gammon? If so, email bg@chicagopoint.com and we will answer them here:

QUESTION: Can a "Flower-Power" checker be closed out? -- Stick Rice

ANSWER:

-13--14--15--16--17--18--BAR--19--20--21--22--23--24-
| .   f   .   .   O   . |   | O   O   O   O   O   O |
|                       |   | O   O   O   O   O   O |
|                       |   |                       |
|                       |   |                       |
|                       |   |                       |
|                       | F |                       |
|                       |   |          HOME         |
|                       |   |                       |
|                       |   |                       |
|                       |   |                     X |
|                       |   |                     X |
|                 X     |   |     X   X   X   X   X |
| .   .   .   .   X   . |   | O   X   X   X   X   X |
-12--11--10---9---8---7--BAR--6---5---4---3---2---1--

In the position shown above, the White Flower Power checker (f) has just hit the Black FP checker (F) on her 11-point.  The rule states that a FP checker can "never be primed."  Naturally, if Black rolls six or less, he can't move; however he rolls a 6-2 here and can play the 8 directly hitting White on the 17-point.