sol4016m.htm | Gammonline - Backgammon Resources

Chuck Bower: 23/22, 15/9.
15/9 not only brings a cover for the 3-point into position, but removesmany of White's hitting numbers. 23/22 puts that checker in positionto jump the prime with a 6. Blue is still pretty wide open but I thinkhe needs to keep all his checkers working. 3/2 may be safer but I don'tsee the subsequent awkward position leading to a winning gameplan.

Steve Clark: 23/22, 15/9.
When I look at positions like this, I try to find some coherent conceptof what to accomplish. First since we have to leave a lot a blots, itcan be advantageous to reduce our opponent's diversification. Othersteps to be taken is to escape or prepare to escape and to put buildersin useful spots. Of all the seemingly random plays available, 11-5,23-22 and 15-9, 23-22 seem to accomplish the most in this regard. Withthis play we cut down White's really good rolls.. We bring a checker upto the 22 point where it can escape directly. And we get a usefulbuilder toward our blot on the 3 point.
As in problem 5 it is very difficult to evaluate the other possibleplays. One or more of them might be strong but I am unable to discernany particular principles which would argue in their favor. Nor, forthat matter do I see a lot to choose between the two plays I favor. Iwill play 15-9, 23-22 because it seems to cut down on White's immediategood rolls.

George Klitsas: 13/6.
Blue must leave the slot where it is, in the first place. One can't imagine how he should be able to bring his disjoint position home without a strong inner board. Other than that, a good idea is to lift an external blot, reducing their number. The best move is 13/6 in my opinion.

Rob Maier: 23/22, 15/9.
How did this mess arise? 23/22 seems like a reasonable ace, and 15/9 cleans up a little, and adds a new builder. Good enough.

Snowie: 21/15, 3/2.
Why risk getting hit and losing all that ground in what is essentiallyan even race. I have enough blots to worry about -- leaving the threepoint slotted could prove to be fatal. Right now I need to take advantageof the respite with White on the bar to clean up my act and prepare to moveforward. I don't have the necessary builders to cover the blot on thethree point anyway. It is better to lift it now and put the checker intoplay later in the game.

Bob Stringer: 13/6.
This problem felt like it was the toughest one. Somany different things can happen that only one thing isfor certain -- I'm not giving up the anchor. For amoment of insanity, I thought I'd pick 23/16, carryingthe running theme of problem number 1 to greatextremes, but when so many blots are strewn around, toomany bad things can happen -- and usually do. I haveto try to get something out of this ugly roll, and sowhat I'm going to get out of it is a spare checker onthe 6 point, while reducing the number of my blots byone.

Casper Van Der Tak: 21/15, 3/2.
Clueless. Anything could be right or double whopper. My choice is motivated by the fact that I do not like being behind the prime, so get one away from there, and then minimize chances that another checker gets send back, hence 21/15 3/2. It would be nice to make the 3 point, but it is not needed to win. Even if White dances and Blue would make the 3-point, he is not likely to keep White on the Bar long enough to extract and bring around all checkers.
In contrast, getting hit on the three (and somewhere else, most of the threes are double hits) would be a complete disaster. Just escape from behind the prime and Blue should have reasonable chances owning the cube.

Kit Woolsey: 23/22, 21/15.
Outfield control is the name of the game. It is vital for Blue to establisha point in the outfield and extricate his back checkers from behind White's blockade.White is left with plenty of shots, but Blue does have the stronger innerboard so he can survive a blot-hitting contest. What Blue can't survive isgetting stuck behind a prime.

Chris Yep: 23/22, 21/15.
With White having two outfield points and Blue having two vulnerable blots in the outfield, contesting the outfield looks very important for Blue. By playing 21/15 (or 23/16), Blue not only puts pressure on White's outfield points but also protects his own outfield blots; if White hits in the outfield, Blue will have return shots from the bar. I strongly believe that Blue should fight for the outfield in this position. 23/16 looks too loose, especially considering that it doesn't actually make any new outfield points. 21/15 looks best. It gives up the advanced anchor, but usually this can be remade later; note that while White might consider hitting loose on his 4 point with 1s and 4s these are duplicated since he also needs 1s and 4s to enter from the bar. With the ace, Blue has two choices. While it's somewhat loose (5 blots), I believe Blue should leave the 3 point slotted and instead play 23/22 with the ace. Putting a 3rd checker on the 2 point is ugly; Blue is significantly less likely to make a strong board/prime after 3/2. Since Blue has more back men and a stronger board it's thematically correct to leave the 3 point slotted.

Summary: In a tight four-horse race, bringing the builder to thenine point was the winner. The four vote-getters involve such differentthemes that it is not at all clear what the panel is saying. Perhaps thisproblem is just too difficult.