Chuck Bower: 10/8, 6/3.
My vote for "toughest problem of the month". There are good reasons for hitting and good reasons for not hitting. I can hem and haw about which hitting play I like best and which non-hitting play I like best, but in the end I'll have to choose between hitting and not hitting. So why not choose right up front?
White can play singles of any variety except 2's with the back checkers, but no rolls get both checkers cleanly away, and many rolls don't get either checker free. That means that if Blue just bides his time, there will be more opportunities. Inaddition, Blue really wants the 20-point, not the 1- or 2-point. So even when the hit works, Blue will have workremaining. And when it fails..., I don't want to think aboutthat! I've decided not to hit.
The 'safe' (that is, non-hitting) plays still leave a minimum of 6 shots, except for one: 10/8, 6/3. Blue is at the edge of White's prime and owns the cube. Both of these conditions argue against forcing the issue. Normally I throw out 'disgusting' plays like 6/3, but often in these monthly quizes, the play I throw away first turns out to be best. Well, not this time. I doubt I would have made this play over-the-board, but I'm going with the super-safe (brand me "weenie of the month" if it gives you a thrill) 10/8, 6/3. I'm definitely going to be alive and kicking next turn, which isn't a guarantee for any of the alternatives.

Steve Clark: 10/8, 6/3.
I find it virtually impossible in this type of position to judge the valueof hitting my opponent. 11-8, 4-2 looks much too loose for me, and hittingon the ace point seems misdirected. Even so my rollouts sometimes make oneof the hits a significnt winner. My own concept is somewhat different. Iam slightly ahead in the race. I think I should keep my head down and tryto get lucky, escape, and win the race. This is not an unreasonable hope.White clearly is the favorite but at each roll White will have bad numbersand I will have lucky rolls which could turn the tables. The play thatsuits this concept is 10-8, 6-3. It leaves no blots and waits for more lucknext roll. None of my checkers are badly misplaced by this play. It looksright to me.

George Klitsas: 11/6.
I slightly prefer 11/6 over 11/8 10/8 , despite the fact that my play leaves 2 more shots (11/9 11/8 is out of the question, for it leaves much more shots without enough compensation). It's probably close, but I like the fourth checker on Blue's six point after 11/6 and the three outside builders (two active on the 10 and 11 points and one semi-active on the stripped eight point).

Rob Maier: 10/8, 4/1*.
Our forward position calls for a bit of aggression. The only safe play (10/8, 6/3) is too ugly to contemplate. Hitting on the ace point allows us to safe the other blot.

Snowie: 10/8, 4/1*.
I have to try to get something going. If I just sit on the position, it istoo easy for White to escape. The spare on the four point isn't doingany good just sitting there, so I might as well activate it. My boardis as strong as White's, and getting a blitz going is a serious possibility.I won't like it if I am hit back, but I can still survive.

Marty Storer: 10/8, 4/1*.
Virtually forced. Blue has absolutely no attractive blotlessplay. He might as well hit. He gains a lot when White staysout. Any other hitting play involves some big concession, soBlue keeps all his points, keeps builders in good places, andleaves only one blot.

Bob Stringer: 10/8, 4/1*.
Another one I didn't think about very long, although it's a difficultposition (I think). What I'd like to do is fill in my 5 or 7 point (inthat order of priority), "un-split" White's back men, and either keepthem both stuck behind a blockade or have one of them dance longenough for me to try to run. Tall order, but that seems to be the bestway to try to win this thing. I also don't want to leave a blot in theoutfield -- White's back men being split, that gives him too manyshots, and being hit would just about be the end of it. Putting thattogether, 10/8 lifts the blot, and 4/1* diverts White's attention fromescaping with a 5 or 6, to trying to enter in a reasonable manner. Ifhe hits . . . well, life's not perfect.

Casper van der Tak: 10/8, 4/1*.
Blue's broken position does not lend it self to a prime vs prime game; and as a holding game, Blue's position is unplayable for timing reasons. I would hence attack and hope to escape. 10/8 4/1 follows the attacking plan in the most prudent fashion, since it would be a large setback to have another checker sent back.

Kit Woolsey: 10/8, 6/3.
I must earn the wimp of the year award for this play. However, the variousattacking plays don't look to promising, and getting a third checker sentback would be really bad. The race is close and the back checkershave an outlet, so if Blue can avoid anything bad happening he can win evenif White is able to escape. The loss of the spare on the six point willbe felt, but Blue still has decent diversification after 10/8, 6/3. Otherplays strike me as risking too much without sufficient gain.

Chris Yep: 10/8, 6/3.
With Blue having a weak prime and White having a strong 5-prime on the other side of the board it will be difficult for Blue to attack this turn. Instead I think Blue should just play safe. Getting hit and losing 20 or so pips is costly here since the race is currently even. I prefer the simple 10/8 6/3, which still preserves Blue's attacking chances for next turn in the variations where White still has two vulnerable blots in Blue's inner board.

Summary: In a close vote, the panel chose to hit loose in orderto do something with the spare checker on the four point. Perhaps thatis right. The potential upside and downside are difficult to weigh.

Problem #5    Play             Votes   Score10/8, 4/1*         5      10010/8, 6/3          4       9011/6               1       6011/9, 11/8         0       4011/8, 10/8         0       4011/8, 4/2*         0       4011/9, 4/1*         0       40 6/1*               0       40