sol4022m.htm | Gammonline - Backgammon Resources

Allen Adams: 21/15(2).
The question is whether to snatch the 5-point, but leave 2 checkers to bring around from the 18-point (21/18 (2), 8/5 (2)) or just bring the back men out to the outfield. Since the 10-point is blocked for White's boxcars, taking the racing lead and controlling the outfield seems best.

Alan Alsop: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
Run or hold, crops up time and again. The points are similar but Whites position is a bit more stable with good timing. I not to keen on the spaces between my men but they do have builders on the 6 and 8 pt. Making the bar pt (13/7) isolates the back men. Playing (10/7)(8/5) is a nice pure play. But future play is causing me concern with lack of builders with a total forward game. Moving out Blue can control the outfield better and prepare for running home, but whether to carry on is another matter. Moving all the way leaves Blue with gaps to fill and could prove a big obstacle. I will go for part running my back men and realistically the other three's would have to make the 5 pt.

Chuck Bower: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
It doesn't take much of an argument to make the 5-point. The blot on the 2-point can be covered from the 6-point later. Normally the opp's barpoint is a better defensive point than the 21-point,particularly when the race is close, as here. Two improvementswith one roll.

George Klitsas: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
In similar positions, one must make life easier for himself but, at the same time, make life difficult for his opponent, which is not, of course, just the other side of the same coin. Meaning that somehow Blue must find the balance, the algebraic sum of these two quantities being as positive for him as possible. With that in mind, Blue must realize that staying back on the twenty one point [10/7(2) 8/5(2) looks best from this group] just gives a lot of freedom to White in the outfield. Apart from this, this play is short sighted, since Blue is without spares and must give something soon (effect of being ahead in the race and, consequently, behind in the timing battle). Blue must move those back checkers, that's for sure. Should Blue move them all the way (21/15), making HIS life easier, by applying the well known motto "when ahead in the race, race" just ignoring the effect of this move to White? This would be a mistake, too, for White's life becomes easier, as well, in another way. Blue must move thoseback checkers to the point that makes White's life as difficult as possible [21/18(2)]. The other half of the move speaks for itself [8/5(2)], as nobody can deny the importance of making the five point in the resulting position, a crucial point that I don't even know if Blue is a favorite to make otherwise. Needless to repeat, my solution is 21/18(2) 8/5(2).

Laila Leonhardt: 21/15(2).
Very even race and a great opportunity to be the first to jump the hurdle.
White will still be stuck having a holding game behind a potentially strong prime, while blues only worries here is to clear his points without leaving a shot and keep an eye out for a good time to turn the cube.

Mary Lee Pinkney: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
I think the best thing to do here is to secure two valuable boardpoints, by moving 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
Blue will now have his anchor on his opponent�s bar point and also havemade his (Blue�s) own 5 point! (Blue is slightly ahead in the pip countafter this move and the cube is in the center.) This is definitely theplay I would make.

Snowie: 21/15(2).
When both sides have anchors, the player who's anchor is farther advancedgenerally has the advantage. This is essentially a race, and I want tobe ready to race all the way home when I roll my next good set of doubles.Making the five point is nice, but that leaves me with a strippedposition.

Marty Storer: 21/15(2).
With a checker buried and a lead in the race, Blue hasgood incentive to try to run home. This gives 11 ways(including double 1's) to clear the 15 safely, orsemi-safely by leaving a 7-shot. 33 and 31 also play well;53, 52 and 32 can be used to clear the midpoint. Bluewill have multiple rolls to hope for such good things;nothing forces a direct shot yet. After the tempting21/18(2) 8/5(2), Blue's back men are farther fromhome,and there's a bit of awkwardness because of theoutsidestrippage.

Bob Stringer: 21/18(2), 8/5(5).
Nothing else feels right to me. With all those 3's and all thosecheckers on the 8 point, I'd feel silly not making the 5 point.Given that as a starting point, moving up to White's bar point isthe natural follow-up, since 6/3(2) just dumps men behind White'sanchor.

Casper van der Tak: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
Blue will be slightly ahead after the roll. For timing reasons, it is important to move the back checkers. In addition, Blue would like to make an additional blocking point, hence 8/5(2). Combining these, we get 21/18(2) 8/5(2).
21/15(2) is a sound alternative that emphasizes racing and timing considerations. Should Blue's lead in the race be slightly larger, say 3-4 pips more, that would have been my play.

Kit Woolsey: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
I'm not going to have many opportunities to make my five point, so I believeI should take advantage of this one. Getting the back checkers out intothe outfield is the other priority. Ownership of my ten point is strong,and making the three point can wait.

Chris Yep: 21/18(2), 8/5(2).
8/5(2) makes the important 5 point to equalize boards. This looks best. If Blue doesn't make the 5 point now, it may be difficult to make it later, and without the 5 point Blue will often have an awkward position. On the other side of the board I like 21/18(2). Since Blue is ahead in the race, it looks best to start to move his back men forward.

Summary: Everybody recognizes the importance of getting theback checkers on the move in this sort of position. The five point isthe five point, say the majority of the panel. It sure does look pretty,doesn't it?