| 127 180 |                        | White money game Blue |
Problem #8 Play Votes Score24/21, 15/10 7 10020/17, 20/15 3 8024/21, 20/15 1 6020/12 0 4015/7 0 4015/12, 15/10 0 4015/10, 9/6 0 409/6, 9/4 0 40
Chuck Bower: 24/21, 20/15.
I just want to say one word to you, just one word. Are youlistening? Outfieldcontrol. It looks to me like Blue shouldconcentrate on hassling White's stragglers coming around thehorseshoe. The double anchor is nice but I think keeping itrequires Blue to sacrifice too much in the next battlefield.Is the checker on the 24-point doing anything useful? With somany checkers back Blue wants every checker working, eithernow or very soon. My second choice is clearing the 20-pointbut the above two observations combined lead me to play 24/21 with 20/15.
Neil Kazaross: 20/17, 20/15.
When in doubt, move forward is a really good motto that has been givenstrength by the bots. My choice here is simply 20-15 20-17 in preference to more backgame oriented plays like 15-10 15-12. I realize that this might be a good position for a backgame with White being so stacked up and that 10/12 doesn't commit us to a backgame, but prefer 15/17.
George Klitsas: 24/21, 15/10.
The name of the game is outfield control, here. That's why, between 15/10 15/12 and 15/10 24/21, I prefer the latter. By keeping the 20 and 21 points, Blue will force White to leave shots (if he's lucky enough to reach the bear-in stage), especially if White rolls too many deuces. Another conceivable move, 20/17 20/15, has the advantage of leaving no blots for White's stranglers and controls better the outfield, but abandons the crucial 20 point, a fact, that White, if he is alert, could exploit by eventually even slotting (!) the point in order to make it. My final word is 24/21 15/10.
Laila Leonhardt: 20/17, 20/15.
Take your pick.Here is a move for every taste, style and strategy.I most definitely swear by the outfield control. Building a prime to containWhite and keeping a solid anchor in White's home board are the 2 priorities.Blue owns the cube, so he should make sure he doesn't risk his position withmany blots or daring hits, but simply make his way to a slow and steadyvictory with control and priming.
Snowie: 24/21, 15/10.
I am way behind in the race, so I would rather not give up one of myanchors in White's board -- I still may need to play some kind of aback game if I am unable to contain White's back checkers. At the same time,I need outfield control, and I would like to go work on improving myoffense if I can. 24/21, 15/10 is the logical play to accomplish these goals.The checker on the 24 point isn't doing me much good -- I want that checkerposied to spring into the outfield while I still keep both anchors. Inthe meantime I threaten to attack White's blot on my five point. It is nodisaster if I am hit, and if White misses I may be able to get somethinggoing.
Marty Storer: 24/21, 15/10.
Blue can play 20/15 20/17, but I have a nagging feelingthat it's premature to give up the double anchor in White'sboard. That leaves 15/10 15/12 and 24/21 15/10. Gettinghit isn't the end of the world, and Blue maintains a verygood two-way game plan whenever White misses. His two-wayplan isn't as powerful if White hits, but it's still there.After 15/10 I like 24/21, to get a back checker moving andminimize shots. But I wouldn't argue too hard against 20/1520/17, which maintains a solid outfield presence and addssome outfield control.
Bob Stringer: 24/21, 15/10.
The 9 point has to stay where it is, since it helps block White'stwo back men or anyone else I may hit. I'm so far behind in therace that I prefer to keep both anchors. Those two points are themain thing about my structure which makes life awkward for White.I can't expect to get anywhere with five men back, though, so it'stime to get the man on the 24 point moving along. That leaves15/10 for the 5, which is just fine. The 15 is the leastinteresting point right now, and if the man on the 10 is hit -well, I was far behind in the race as it was, so that's not a verybig deal.
Casper van der Tak: 24/21, 15/10.
Blue should retain his two anchors, and should prepare to jump his spare checker on the 24 into the outfield. Hence 24/21. 15/10 is then the only way to keep the two anchors. Blue can afford to leave the blots, since his defense is solid.
Kit Woolsey: 20/17, 20/15.
Outfield control is the name of the game. I don't want to be playing abackgame if I can help it, and I have two White checkers back in my board.My problem is that I don't have the ammunition to contain them. Bu bringingtwo checkers into the outfield I get that ammunition ready, as well ascovering the outfield in case White tries to escape. The anchor on White'sfive point is nice, but I don't really need it since I still retain the anchoron his four point.
Chris Yep: 24/21, 15/10.
With a thin outfield presence, I feel Blue needs to keep a decent outfield structure on his side of the board. Thus I eliminate 15/10 9/6 and 9/6 9/4. On the other side of the board, Blue's two anchors are causing White awkwardness, especially since White has 6 checkers on his 6 point. It looks best to keep both anchors. This leaves 3 moves to consider, 24/21 15/10, 15/7, and 15/12 15/10. Since Blue has 12 checkers tied up in the 2 anchors, the 9 point, and his inner board, he only has 3 checkers to maneuver with as he waits for developments. Since these 3 checkers have to do a lot of work, this hints at playing 24/21 15/10 to increase the chance of using the 24-point checker effectively (with a shortage of usable checkers, Blue will often need to get this checker into play), and increasing Blue's overall flexibility. Another feature of 24/21 15/10 is that it connects all 3 spare checkers while 15/7 and 15/12 15/10 do not. 15/12 15/10 might be the worst of these 3 moves since it completely strands Blue's 5 back men.
Summary: The majority of the panel held onto the anchors. I don'tsee it. Isn't the main goal to flood the outfield and prevent White's backmen from escaping? We don't have to commit to a backgame.