| 110 114 |                         | White money game Blue |
Problem #6 Play Votes Score7/1*, 5/1 9 1009/3, 7/3 2 7024/14 1 6024/18, 7/3 0 4024/18, 5/1* 0 40
Chuck Bower: 9/3, 7/3.
Blue can run, which is certainly safest for now. Staying back gives Bluemore chances to send a third White checker back and increasing his gammons.If you look at the spares in the current prime, neither is well placed.7/3 takes some of that awkwardness away. 9/3 covers and makes a 4th innerboard point, and the next one in line. Blue could stumble coming home,but that seems like a long enough shot to take the risks for more gammons.Rolling the prime has so many positive gains that I think it dwarfs thedownsides.
Steve Clark: 7/1*, 5/1.
The most likely way to lose this game is for White to make a rear anchor andhit a lucky shot. If we make the ace point, this cuts down on White'sopportunities to anchor. Besides this is the best opportunity to get 3 ofblack's blots on the bar (see problem 5).
The alternative is to bring the prime in smoothly with 9-3, 7-3. I used toplay real smooth in these positions but then look at very unfriendlyrollouts. These days I go for blots on the bar.
Ray Fogerlund: 24/14.
Tempting to go for the gammon, but now is not the time.Ensure the win, then go for the G when White's board is a shambles.Slotting the front of the prime later, or maybe even an exotic trap playwhen White runs out of 6s will be workable. However, if I were going torisk it, then at this point I would make the 3 point if I needed a gammon towin a match or something... Realizing, of course, that I am affording Whitea bit of an opportunity to attack me and find an escape route while I am onthe bar.
George Klitsas: 7/1*, 5/1.
Everything points towards making the ace point on White's head - White's other blot, the blitzing ammo and the position of the cube. Once the blitzing mode is on, Blue should continue with loose hits, at least when White enters with one man. 7/1* 5/1 is the play, far better than any other move.
Hannu Lyyjynen: 7/1*, 5/1.
Other plays may play more smoothly but this has to win most gammons.
Snowie: 7/1*, 5/1.
They do pay double for gammons, don't they? I'm going after one! I don'tneed to keep a prime, with two White checkers on the bar and a thirdone in the wings. I have plenty of attack material ready. If I don'tattack, White has a chance to make an anchor. This not only cuts downon my gammon chances greatly, but also gives White some chance of sleazingout a victory from that anchor. It is much better to have White on the bar.
Marty Storer: 7/1*, 5/1.
I think Blue's board is strong enough that he should go all-out forthe gammon. If O enters with 22 or 33, Blue isn't happy, but eventhen he has a full prime. If White fans, Blue is doing extremelywell; if White enters with a single checker or with 32, Blue stillhas very good attacking chances. Even if he's hit during theattempted closeout, he has a blot to shoot at on the other side.
Bob Stringer: 7/1*, 5/1.
Go for the gammon. I don't know what the chances are, but they've gotto be huge.
Casper van der Tak: 7/1*, 5/1.
Blue has several possibilities for more or less fancy plays, but I like the straightforward approach of pointing and next trampling on any blot that shows its face. Pretty good diversification, with 6s 5s 4s and 3s working. Doubles also play pretty well. Yummy, all those gammons... Other plays leave White too many chances to link up and avoid being gammoned.
Kit Woolsey: 9/3 7/3.
Walking my prime on home. I'm a simple-minded soul here. The threepoint is the next point in line. If White flunks I still have blitzpotential, and if White enters I'll be quite happy to have advanced myprime smoothly. Attacking plays risk awkward things happining to myprime. My back checker isn't in too much danger of being trapped, andit may yet pick up another White checker.
Chris Yep: 7/1*, 5/1.
24/14 escapes, but still doesn't lock up the game. White can still establish a deuce or 3 point game and win a race. Alternatively White could play an acepoint game (with bad timing). 24/14 probably wins the most games, but I don't think 24/14 wins substantially more games than any of the other more aggressive plays. With the gammon a close call I think Blue gains a lot of gammons by simply pointing on White's head. This creates a 4 point board and gives Blue a shot at a 3rd checker next turn. If Blue can't hit the 3rd checker, he'll likely still get several chances to escape. If things go badly, Blue will still have a strong prime. The 4th inner board point will go a long way toward securing a gammon. 7/1* 5/1 clearly wins the most gammons, while I believe it only loses slightly more often than the other candidate plays.
Summary: I'm afraid my vote here may give away my age. In the goodold days primes were everything -- you built a prime and walked it home. Theace point was the last point you made. Nowadays, it's blitz, blitz,blitz -- who cares about purity. Maybe everybody else is right here -- thosegammons do count double. Still, I'd feel pretty bad about losing thisgame because I prematurely made the ace point.