| 155 173 |                        | White money game Blue |
Problem #2 Play Votes ScoreB/24, 6/1* 4 100B/20, 6/5 2 80B/20, 24/23 1 60B/24, 18/13 1 60 B/24, 13/8 1 60
Steve Clark: B/20, 6/5.
It is a rule of thumb that slotting the 5 point might be right if youropponent has good 4's elsewhere. Is that the situation here? I amnot so sure. 17-21 sure looks useful but White has other useful ways tomake his 4 point. The alternative plays here are look like drek, themost likely one bing b-24, 18-13. Nothing else looks at all appealin soI will go with the big blot play, b-20, 6-5.
George Klitsas: B/20, 24/23.
Blue will be 12 pips behind after playing his roll, a fact that makes B/24 13/8, which retains contact (but risks further loss of ground), preferable to B/24 18/13, which cedes outfield control. I don't think, tho, that B/24 13/8 is the best move here, not the panic hit of 6/1*. Very interesting is the expert (!?) play B/20 6/5, duplicating 4's, a play that I could try on a certain mood, still I estimate that Blue in all probability won't be given the chance to cover and make his five point eventually. I slightly prefer B/20 24/23 over B/20 6/5, a play that puts immediate pressure to White, duplicates fours as well and prepares to make the better two-point instead of the ace-point in case of being hit on the five point.
Rob Maier: Bar/24, 6/1*.
Hitting lessens the chance that White gets to make their 4 point, and if they do make it, leaves us with the chance to make the defensive bar.
Snowie: B/24, 18/13.
Sometimes simple is best. There is no need to panic here. White hasn't madehis four point yet, and even if he does so I'm not at a great disadvantage.Getting everybody safe for now puts me in a better position to developand contain White's remaining back checker. If I try to complicate the issue,it is likely to backfire.
Bob Stringer: B/24, 6/1*.
I'd rather split my back men, but after B/20 6/5 thereare too many blots. There are still too many evenafter B/20 24/23. Both play just seem to give Whitetoo free a hand. B/24 13/8 and B/24 18/13 are safe buttoo passive. That leaves B/24 6/1*. Too bad Whitestill has a good 6 to play, but hitting at leastreduces the number of his options.
Casper Van Der Tak: B/24, 13/8.
Bit passive, but seems best to me. Hitting on the ace eliminates some covers for the four point and takes away some hit and covers, but the cost of throwing away a checker seems too high. B/24 18/13 is too passive, and makes it too easy for White to consolidate the position (14/save, cover), with a large advantage. These two B/24 alternatives were easy to throw out.
B/20 6/5: Do not slot while split. Well, this is quite a more splitted position� In favor of the play, it involves some duplication, and it promotes a blot hitting contest which would help Blue as the side with less checkers back. However, I see too many wipe out sequences.
B/20 24/23: This goes after a better anchor without slotting. I do not like the combination of having a lot of numbers duplicated: 2�s to hit on the 21 and 11 points, plus (if hit on the 18 or 20) 2�s to make an achor, and (after getting hit on the 18), 5�s to make an advanced anchor and hit back.
B/24 13/8 is a solid play, keeping an achor to protect against wipe out sequences, tries to establish an advanced anchor. If White hits and covers, Blue will try again for an advanced anchor or hit back if possible. Bit simplistic, but that is what I would do.
Kit Woolsey: B/24, 6/1*.
Long experience has shown that when an opponent has slotted a key pointand you miss the shot at the blot, it is very valuable to divert him in orderto make it more difficult for him to cover the blot. This principle seemsto apply here. By hitting loose on the ace point I cut down on Blue'scover numbers -- in particular, all sixes don't cover. It is worth scrificingthe checker on the ace point in order to gain this tactical advantage.
Chris Yep: B/20, 6/5.
In my opinion this is the most interesting problem of the set. Basically Blue has two approaches. He can play passively (b/24) and try for some type of holding game. Alternatively, he can aggressively slot the 20 point (b/20 24/23 or b/20 6/5). Since Blue is behind in the race, has more back men, and since White has an inner board blot, it looks like Blue should play boldly with b/20. With the ace, perhaps I'm going out on a limb, but I would try 6/5. The duplication of 2s (if White hits on his bar point he will then need 2s to hit again, but he will also need 2s to cover his 4 point blot) and 4s (he will have to choose between 24/20* and 8/4) is significant. Although it leaves Blue vulnerable, it also slots both 5 points. Slotting both 5 points is often a reasonable move, especially when the alternatives aren't very appealing. For example, even on the opening roll 24/20 6/5 is only wrong by a small amount and only because 24/23 13/9 is reasonably constructive. In this position, Blue's alternative, anchoring on the ace point, is not very appealing. Compared to the opening position Blue's position is more desperate. He has more to gain than he has to lose by an exchange of hits. Thus I prefer the aggressive b/20 6/5.
Summary: The panel went for the action play on a very awkward early gameproblem. It seems reasonable with White having the blot on the four point.When you can't do something good, at least try to make life difficult foryour opponent.