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There are a few formulae that I have come across that are used to establishcorrect cube actions in bearoff positions. The Thorpe, Ward and Kleinmanformulae are the ones I know of and you surely must know of them too. Myquestion is how come no one seems to use them? Is it because they areinaccurate or because they are impractical? Perhaps it is too complicatedand time consuming to use these formulae.
Do most top players make their cube decisions in bearoff positions based onbenchmark positions and general experience as opposed to using a formula? Inotice you never use any formulae in your annotations so I presume you donot use them when you play.Though you have probably experimented with them,if you have, what were your impressions?
Tony Moutzouris
Everybody does his own thing. Some players use a formula, some rely moreon seat of the pants judgment. I couldn't say what most top players do.
Personally, I have never learned any of the formulas you mention, so I don'thave any real experience with them. Not to say that they aren't valuable.I'm just lazy, I guess. In practice I take a pipcount, make whateveradjustments I believe I should make depending on men off and bearoffstructure, and go from there. The formulas attempt to do the same thing butin a more rigorous manner. They will all work well in some positions,badly in others.
Several years ago I did develop a method of evaluating races which is basedon shifting checkers to an "optimal" bearoff, and evaluating the effect ofthe shifts. This approach was very accurate almost regardless of theposition. I wrote it up in an Inside Backgammon article. The problem withit is that it is very complicated; too much so for me to use at the table.In practice I just rely on my judgment, and try to save my mental energy for moreimportant things. If I midjudge and am off by a couple of percent, it's notthe end of the world.
Kit Woolsey