| 159 149 |                          | White money game Blue |
Problem #1 Play Votes Score13/7 10 10024/20, 13/11 2 7024/22, 13/9 0 4013/11, 13/9 0 408/4, 6/4 0 40
Alan Alsop: 13/7.
Nothing to special here with Blue having a small lead in the race and an identical prime. Also with one man back I don't think it would be a good idea making the 4 pt and exposing the 8 pt. White on the other side of the board has only one's to hit directly without breaking up his three pt prime if Blue were to move up to the 5 pt. Although moving up and escaping is foremost in the mind is this the best move here. Blue doesn't want to be hit either on Whites 5 pt or in his outer board loosing tempo. I will go for bringing down an additional and welcome builder. The back man can wait.
Chuck Bower: 13/7.
Safe vs. bold says "safe". Unstack the heavy midpoint. Keep theback loner out of harms way. Wait for the next roll.
George Klitsas: 13/7.
A third checker (spare) on the bar point, in similar positions, is of great value, because Blue adds a new builder to his potential without risk (compared to 24/20 13/11, 24/22 13/9 or the provocative 13/11 13/9). The play that stands out as the winner is, therefore, 13/7, much better than the bold 8/4 6/4, either.
Laila Leonhardt: 24/20, 13/11.
Blue is not happy about getting a second checker send back, so caution is advised. Bringing a builder down and trying to escape the back checker has the advantage that if Blue gets hit on the 11th point with an indirect shot he will have a good chance for making a nice advantaged anchor when entering from the bar. Which will make up for the fact of having been hit
Mary Lee Pinkney: 24/20, 13/11.
In this situation I would move 24/20, 13/11.
Blue doesn�t want to make the 4 point with this roll because White hashis back men split and would most likely hit Blue�s blot that would beleft sitting back on the 8 point.
I think it�s better to move Blue�s man to the 11 point (from themidpoint) so that it is now placed six points away from the 5 point.Blue would love to be able to secure that 5 point in the near future aswell as making a four-point prime in the process.
It is also good for Blue to move his back checker forward to the 20point, so that he can prepare to escape next roll. (Blue is ahead inthe race so preparing to escape his back man is a good thing to do.)
Snowie: 13/7.
Nothing rash here. I have only one checker back, and I don't want thatstatus to change on the next roll. Unstacking to the bar point is fine.I can improve my board or run later.
Marty Storer: 13/7.
This looks very easy. The only real difference in theplayers' positions is that Blue is ahead in the racewithone checker back against two. White has no majorthreats.With White's back men split, there's no reason toleaveany outfield shots, either direct or indirect. 13/7addsa builder and unstacks the midpoint with no risk.
Bob Stringer: 13/7.
White would like to unstack his heavy 6 point, and I see no reasonto give him a target. The checker on the 24 point stays where itis. And since White has already split his back men, putting twomen in the outfield gives him too many shots - so 13/11, 13/9 isout. 8/4, /64 gives him a direct shot, so that's out too. Thatleaves 13/7. Not sexy-looking, but it unstacks the mid-point andmoves the checker to a helpful spot.
Casper van der Tak: 13/7.
Only one checker back, so Blue needs to be careful about exposing blots. 8/4 6/4 is a huge overplay of the position, 18 shots that are very costly. 13/9 13/11 also leaves a lot of shots, and can be discarded for that reason. 24/22 13/9 and 24/20 13/11 are reasonable, but expose a second blot. White will attack the lone back checker if White cannot hit the builder; therefore, the builder created is not worth much.
13/7 stays out of harm way, creates an additional builder, and seems the most effective play.
Kit Woolsey: 13/7.
This quiet play puts an important builder into place without taking anyrisks. I have only one checker back, so the cost of being hitby a direct or indirect shot is too great. My back man is notin immediate danger of being trapped even though White has made his barpoint. There will be opportunities to flee later.
Chris Yep: 13/7.
Since Blue has already escaped a back man and White is not threatening much, he should make a quiet play, assuming that it is reasonably constructive. 13/7 meets this requirement as it leaves no shots, unstacks the midpoint, and adds a builder. There are some arguments for moving up the back man. However, Blue has more timing (despite being ahead in the race) as a result of having escaped a back checker, and this checker is not yet in too much danger of being primed. Therefore it looks best to play quietly, 13/7.
Summary: A near unanimous vote for the quiet building play. Players thesedays have learned just how costly it can be to be hit even in the earlystages of the game.