| 154 176 |                          | White money game Blue |
Problem #4 Play Votes Score10/5, 7/5 7 10024/22, 6/1* 2 7010/3* 1 6024/22, 10/5 0 4010/8, 6/1* 0 40 8/3*, 3/1* 0 40
Chuck Bower: 10/5, 7/5.
'Assets' looks like the theme for the first four problems this month. Playswhich don't make the 5-point look like waiting plays with little upside.Although Blue is probably going to want to get one of the checkers on the24-point moving, doing so now by sliding to a blocked point doesn't appear to be an effective approach. Wait for a 3 or a 6. Hitting on points Bluedoesn't want is inefficient, a particularly costly ploy with four backcheckers. The remaining frontside checkers should be placed where theyare needed. Making the 5-point looks like the move consistent with apositive attitude.
Malcolm Davis: 10/5, 7/5.
When in doubt, make the 5-point. I am certainly in doubt.
Doug Doub: 10/3*.
White has a few ways of making his bar point this roll, which wouldreally put the screws to us. Hitting prevents him from working on offensenext turn. I would like to get one of those men on the acepoint moving, butI don't want to break the 8pt to hit loose, and I don't want to startputting men on our ace point in what could be a very long game. If I wereplaying in a chouette, I could be convinced to make our 5pt with this roll.
George Klitsas: 10/5, 7/5.
I like 10/5 7/5. Blue's front position is cramped, his builders on the 7 and 8 points are frozen, and Blue must risk making his five point now. If hit by White, he might obtain a playable backgame of some kind. Hitting on the ace point is beginner's play, dramatically weakening all possible backgame scenarios.
Rob Maier: 10/5, 7/5.
I don't see any reason to play any five other than 10/5. 24/22 may be better for the deuce, but I'd rather have the five point than the bar, and sending back an additional checker is probably not the end of the world.
Snowie: 24/22, 6/1*.
What back game? I am only 22 pips behind in the race; not nearly enoughto go into a back game. White is threatening to make his bar point, andI can't afford to give him his full roll. The loose hit on the ace pointkeeps him busy while unstacking my heavy six point and keeping the restof my blockade in place, and the split to the 22 point diversifies in theback and helps me fight for White's bar point. If White rolls an ace andhits back, then maybe I can think about a back game. It ain't a back gameuntil I says it is.
Bob Stringer: 24/22, 6/1*.
It's too early to think about playing a back game. 10/5 7/5 is apossibility -- the idea being that the roll isn't perfect, so at leastmake a strong point. However, I simply have too many men on the otherside of the board, and they have to get going. I don't especially likeputting a checker on the ace point, but 10/5 is the only other playthat goes with 24/22, and all 10/5 does is uglify an already uglystructure.
Kit Woolsey: 10/5, 7/5.
The five point is the five point. How bad can this be? If I am hit, thismay help my timing for an eventual backgame. If I am missed, I can getmy own offense going. I have to play purely because I have so many men back,and nothing else has much appeal.
Chris Yep: 10/5, 7/5.
Blue is behind in the race and has two anchors, including an advanced anchor. Thus, bolder plays are more attractive. If Blue gets a 5th man sent back, it's not too costly since it may even increase his chance of improving his 24 point anchor to a better anchor. On White's side of the board, the key action centers around the bar point. If White has a good chance of making the bar point and if making this point is decisive, then it's probably right for Blue to take half of White's roll away by hitting. On the other hand, if White's chances of making the bar point are small or if making the bar point is not decisive, then Blue probably does better with a more positional move. The best positional move is 10/5 7/5; getting hit doesn't hurt Blue very much as discussed earlier, while making the 5 point is a big improvement. Note further that 6-5, 6-1, and 5-1 are duplicated (White should make his bar point instead of hitting). I'm not sure, but my intuition prefers 10/5 7/5 over any of the hitting plays. White has 8 numbers (6-5, 6-1, 5-1, 3-3, and 6-6) to immediately make the bar point while retaining a 5-prime, but since Blue has an advanced anchor, it is far from decisive. On the other hand, making the 5 point is a big improvement for Blue.
Summary: The five point is the five point. The panel strongly feltthat it was worth leaving the double shot and possibly going into a back gamein order to make that valuable asset. Our resident bot disagrees, but thebots never did like back games anyway. They just don't know what having funis like.