| 143 156 |                         | White money game Blue |
Problem #1 Play Votes Score18/10, 13/9(2) 6 10018/14(3), 13/9 2 7018/14(2), 18/10 1 6013/9(4) 1 6018/6, 13/9 0 4018/6, 8/4 0 4018/14(3), 8/4 0 40 18/14(3), 6/2 0 40
Chuck Bower: 18/10, 13/9(2).
18-point, 13-point, 9-point, which ones does Blue want? Note that afterthis turn, Blue will be ahead 3 pips with White on roll -- effectively atie in the race. IMO, Blue should not be trying to turn this into a race.The 9-point has double value: a blocking point and a safe haven. 13/9(2)seems like half the play. With White's immature board, Blue shouldn'tbe concerned with blots now. Giving up the 13-point leaves Blue's deepspare with a lot of desert to cross. 18/10 gets the back checker movingwith relative saftey AND starts the 10-point. At worst that checker provides timing pips for the future. The timing is slightly in Blue's favor, so keeping the 18-point and waiting for White to have problems looks like a logical gameplan. 18-point, 13-point, 9-point -- take all of them! 18/10, 13/9(2).
Malcolm Davis: 18/10, 13/9(2).
Am still behind in the race - need to block instead of escape. With 2 blotsin his home board, it is very dangerous for my opponent to break his anchor to hit. I may make another point in front of him for more blocking effect. This play does not seem difficult.
Doug Doub: 18/14(3), 13/9.
Since White has two blots in his board, I think that we should take asmall risk by leaving a shot in our outer board in order to improve ourstructure. 18-10, 13-9(2) is certainly possible, but I prefer to try tobring everyone around together. The race is even after this throw, so we donot have a strong incentive to stay back.
George Klitsas: 18/10, 13/9(2).
After moving, Blue will be 3 pips ahead, about an even race - so, I don't think that the crucial question is "to leave from White's bar point or not". It depends on the subsequent rolls - if Blue knows that he will roll worse than his opponent, he would like to stay back, if not, he would like to disengage. To me, the important question is what to do to make life difficult for White's back checkers, and the answer is, in my opinion, "try to make blocking points in front of White's anchor". A playable move is 13/9(4), which leaves no blots, creates many spares for timing reasons, but does not prepare for another strong blocking point, like the ten point for example, and abandons the midpoint, which is of minor importance, here. Although I don't think there's much difference in equity terms between the two plays, I slightly prefer 18/10 13/9(2), which retains the mid and prepares to make the ten point, which would be a great improvement for now, although Blue might be forced to break it later. The blotcreated is rather immune for one roll. My solution is 18/10 13/9(2).
Rob Maier: 13/9(4).
An even race, with a slightly more advanced back anchor. Bringing down the midpoint means that Blue has only one point being pressured, compared to the two points that White has to worry about. This make White far more likely to be the one to have to leave the shot(s).
Snowie: 18/10, 13/9(2).
Making the nine point looks very natural. This point serves as a blockingpoint, a landing place for the future, and a potential source of attackif White leaves with one checker. I don't mind sitting back on the defensivebar point and playing from there -- White's position isn't very smooth.My blot on the ten point isn't in much danger, and maybe I will be able tobuild yet another blocking point.
Bob Stringer: 18/14(3), 13/9.
Neither vacating the midpoint nor dumping a checker or two behindWhite's anchor has any appeal to me. The former breaks the board intwo, and the latter prematurely assumes I'm going to win a foot race.13/9(2) 18/10 looks decent and definitely should be considered, but Idon't like it as much as the combination of 18/14(3) and dumping achecker from either the 14 or the 13 into my outfield. I'd like tomake an outfield point so I can bring all my men around more easily,and block White at the same time. Owning the 14 point helps me dothat. As between 14/10 and 13/9, the latter is more flexible.
Kit Woolsey: 18/10, 13/9(2).
This 4-4 roll only gets me about even in the race. Running everybody fromthe defensive anchor doesn't seem too attractive, as this leaves two outfieldpoints to clear. The nine point has to be big. Considering the state ofWhite's board, I'm not too worried about the blot I leave on the ten point.
Chris Yep: 18/10, 13/9(2).
If Blue only had two checkers on his 18 point, running would be quite attractive (e.g. 18/10(2)). The race would be even, but White would be stuck on an anchor so would be at a disadvantage. However, with 3 checker on the 18 point, Blue will only be able to move out to the 14 point, creating a sort of "double midpoint." This is not necessarily awkward since Blue will have several spares to play with until he rolls doubles, but I believe Blue can do better. I prefer sitting on the anchor and aggressively building up an outfield blockade while White has two inner board blots. The best move for this purpose is 18/10 13/9(2). An outfield block (8, 9, and 10 point) provides some restraint against White's anchor, but more importantly provides landing spots for the checkers on Blue's midpoint. This will provide Blue with a significant timing advantage: Blue will have an easier time clearing his midpoint, while with a more advanced anchor he will have the better of it in any case. Note that if White has any trouble cleaning up his inner board blots, Blue may decide to immediately run off his midpoint (with one or two checkers) next turn, even if it leaves a blot on his 10 point or 13 point. In these scenarios he has a fairly significant timing advantage, since he'll only be "stuck" on his 18 point anchor, while White will be frozen to both his 20 point anchor and his midpoint.
Summary: The panel agreed that making key points was more importantthan running. The blot on the ten point is not a serious danger. Thisseems to be a good assessment of the position.