sol3022m.htm | Gammonline - Backgammon Resources

Alan Alsop: 6/2(2).
Not the best double in this position. I would like to move the back man up hoping to escape next move. Moving from the 9 pt to the 5 pt would leave a direct 6 to escape and I don't like that thought. I can't leave the midpoint yet as this weakens my control. I'll go for strengthen my homeboard and make the 2 pt and wait for the next move.

Chuck Bower: 9/5(2).
I don't see an obvious play here. There is some incentive to move the backchecker forward, but with White having two blots around, there may be betterthings to do with this roll. How about making the 5-point? If Blue cansend back a second checker, then the best 3-point board is going to beimportant. If Blue can only keep one White checker back, then attacking isthe gameplan, and again the 5-point works well. I think I'll make the5-point.

Steve Clark: 23/21, 9/7(2), 6/4.
Clearly we want to play 23-21. If we start with that premise, then 9-7(2),6-4 seem to follow rather automatically. I reject 13-11(2) as an alternativeto 9-7(2) because I do not want to give up the midpoint yet.
The real alternatives are 6-2(2) and 9-5(2). Both of these plays are moreconstructive but both leave me more vulnerable to White's growing prime.While increasing my risk in the game, they also increase White's risk aswell. I believe that playing 23-21 gives White fewer good rolls and me abetter chance to escape, so I will play 23-21, 9-7(2), 6-4.
Ray Fogerlund: 9/5(2).
The plan is this: Make a stronger board, and after Whiteruns next turn, or hides his outfield blot, then go after what ever is left.At that time I will have a board advantage and it will be incumbent on Whiteto roll well or else find herself at a disadvantage very soon.

George Klitsas: 9/5(2).
Making the five point looks best here, as well. After that move, Blue is poised to attack and White has only a few rolls that put to safety both his blots. Moving to the edge of White's blockade (for example with a move like 23/21 13/11(2) 6/4) is wrong in my opinion. Blue's blot on White's four point would be a target for point making rolls or loose hits at worst.

Hannu Lyyjynen: 9/5(2).
The five point will be a definitive asset for the rest of the game. Making it now puts instantly some pressure on Whites last man on the three point. The lone checker on 23 should be able to escape later with a lucky roll.

Snowie: 23/21, 13/11(2), 6/4.
Escape and build. Making the 11 point and controlling the five point,as well as keeping White's sixes blocked, is very important. Other approachesare too commital one way or another. My play makes progress on bothsides of the board and keeps good overall control of the position.

Marty Storer: 6/2(2).
There are many attractive plays. The only ones I rejected rightaway were 23/21 8/4 6/4 and 23/21 6/2 6/4. Any of the others mightbe right. I picked 6/2(2) to improve the board for the strongestcombined blocking and attacking formation. Stepping up to the 21point is OK, but I prefer to keep my midpoint to pressure White's,and I like the blocking power of the 9 point. If I step up, Ican't keep both the midpoint and 9 point without making one of theweakening plays I rejected.

Bob Stringer: 6/2(2).
An ugly-looking move, but coming up to the 20 point right now makes mypalms sweat. If I had the advantage of a 3 point board to White's 2point board, I'd feel better about it, and 6/2(2) gets me that thirdpoint. 9/5(2) also makes a third point and it's prettier, but it'simportant to hold the 9 point, which is 6 points away from White'schecker on the 3 point.

Casper van der Tak: 23/21, 13/11(2), 6/4.
Main features of the position: Blue is slightly ahead in the race, but behind a 4-prime with the last single checker; three points of White's prime are stripped, while there are 3 spares on the 4th point; White has two vulnerable blots. Blue would like to spring his back checker as his main priority, would like to hit, and likes to contain White. Blue also likes to make additional home board points. Hence:
* 23/21 to spring the back checker;
* 13/11 (2), to bear on the 5 point;
* 6/4, to create a builder for pointing purposes (however dilly).
This was my initial thinking at least. Compare the play with some of the others:
* 6/2(2). An additional point, but does nothing about the back checker. And certainly those spares on the 6s have better places to go.
* 9/5(2). Makes a very useful inner point, but unblocks 6s. Does nothing about the back checker. Better than 6/2(2) though.
* 23/21 6/4 6/2. Steps up, but leaving the blot is going to cost in any blot hitting contest (e.g., White points on the 4, Blue hits back, White hits back on the 2, etc.).
* 23/21 8/4 6/4. Look at the spare distribution! Talk about dilly! Scratch.
* 23/21 9/7(2) 6/4. This is serious. The play steps up, keeps good spare distribution, does not leave inner board blots. It unblocks 6s, and that is the main disadvantage compared to 23/21 13/11(2) 6/4 - 4s after the latter play are not as good as 6s after 9/7(2). An additional consideration: In the White-points-on-4, Blue-hits-back-on-10 scenarios, Blue leaves less returns.

Kit Woolsey: 23/21, 9/7(2), 6/4.
Escaping the back checker has a high priority here before White bringsany more ammunition down. The rest of my play puts my checkers ontowhat appear to be optimal places.

Chris Yep: 23/21, 13/11(2), 6/4.
The timing favors White due to Blue's race lead and White's longer prime. Thus I like moving up to the edge of White's prime (23/21), especially since at the moment White only has spares on his 6 point. If Blue waits on the 23 point, it will only get more dangerous to move up later. Alternatively, Blue can sit back and build his board (e.g. 9/5(2)), hoping to attack next turn. However Blue is awkwardly placed to attack with 5 checkers on his 6 point. It looks better to try to escape with 23/21. The next 2 is naturally 6/4 since Blue has too many checkers on the 6 point. With the last two 2s, I don't like 8/4 6/4 (strips the 8 point) or 6/2 (the blot may be inconvenient; Blue may want to attack soon). Between 13/11(2) and 9/7(2), it's a close choice. However I think the 11 point is more valuable than the 13 point in this position (the 11 point bears on both the open 5 point and 7 point) while it's not clear to me that the 7 point is more valuable than the 9 point (in particular the 9 point blocks 6s). Thus I like 13/11(2) with the last two 2s.

Summary: On a difficult problem the majority of the panel wentafter the inner board points rather than using part of the roll toprepare to escape the back checker. I don't see this. Blue might notget another two for a long time. The offense is in fine shape withouta new inner board point.