| 136 195 |                         | White money game Blue |
Problem #8 Play Votes Score16/10, 6/5* 6 10023/16 6 9024/23, 16/10 1 6024/18, 6/5* 0 4024/23, 13/7 0 4023/22, 16/10 0 4016/9 0 40 13/7, 6/5* 0 40
Steve Clark: 23/16.
Anything involving 24-23 seems like the wrong idea. I do not want toplay a back game nor does White particularly threaten these checkers.The two plays that look potentially best are 23-16 and 16-10, 6-5.
23-16 leaves me reasonably placed to interfere as White attempts tobring his checkers around. Unfortunately it leave White free to playhis entire roll and threatens very little until I can build my innerboard.
16-10, 6-5 is much looser but at least starts the 5 point and preventsWhite from playing his entire roll. back in problem 5 I had difficultychoosing between rolls because I am unsure of the objective merits ofthe alternatives. In this instance the I am uncertain for a slightlydifferent reason, here I judge them to be rather equal. Well, I have topick one so I will go with 23-16.
Malcolm Davis: 23/16.
Not enough "wood" to play 16/10, 6.5*. My play is a little passive, but I own thecube, and the game has a long way to go. Would not play the six to the 18-point in my wildest dreams, and it seems too early to make the 23-point.
Doug Doub: 16/10, 6/5*.
This is the natural developing move, going after the best point in ourboard and not minding a great deal whether we get hit or not.
I was sorely tempted to play 24-23 with the ace, however. We could getblown away into a very poor 5pt game, should White throw 55's and we fail tocover the 23pt quickly, or get saddled with a poor 1-5 backgame if he throws44's or even 65 or 54. Still, a great deal has to happen for us to not geteither the 23 or 22 point. It appears that the gains from making our 5ptwhen successful, figure to be worth the risk.
Ray Fogerlund: 23/16.
This may end up being a back game, but I don't want tocommit to it yet. It would be natural to attack on the 5 point with the ace, or to lock up the deuce point anchor and then get to work. However, making the 16 point, owning the 5 point and having a blot stationed on the ace point will provide plenty of resistance to White as she attempts to break contact and cash in on her racing lead. I will build my board during the next few turns... Preparing my home for company!
Roger Gabrielson: 23/16.
Don't panic. Back games are a last resort.Still not favored but we're not getting gammoned, have the whole board covered, and just might get a fewshots before this is over, maybe after making someinner-board points.
Hal Heinrich: 23/16.
16/10 6/5* is the traditional lets-play-a-backgame approach -- anapproach I like and that might be right here. But Blue does not yethave a back game, and may not get one. Making the sixteen point givesBlue a nicely flowing position -- it's much easier to give up the midif you have the sixteen! White'll have to roll pretty well to get home without leaving shots. And now Blue can still built the inner boardvery aggressively.
George Klitsas: 23/16.
The most difficult problem in this set in my opinion. Three plans are conceivable here. First, trying to go forward - 16/10 6/5* looks the appropriate move in that case. Second, play a five-point holding game which is stronger than usual with the additional outfield post created by the very first move of Blue (23/16). A third option is a 2-5 backgame, the timing of which is best helped by 24/23 13/7, "forcing" White to hit blots. Most experts believe that a backgame should be the last resource, especially when timing is suspect, as it is here - Blue is not behind enough in the race, so I will reject plan three. Plan a (16/10 6/5*) could work, but could also backfire. Many optimists could think that , even after being hit, Blue should be able to make a second back anchor and play a back game and the most optimists between them would be sure that this second anchor would be the two or the three point. Reality is often cruel, tho, and in many cases Blue would simply watch his blots scooped up and himselflosing a gammon without ever making a second anchor, even on the inferior ace point. Remains the sound 23/16, which is my choice. It will be very difficult for White to avoid leaving blots and Blue could even make it playable regarding the race alone. A passing thought: the chosen move seems to be best in terms of recube equity, as well.
Laila Leonhardt: 16/10, 6/5*.
When you own an advanced anchor and you are trailing in the race by a lot,and you have back checkers ready for making another back point, beaggressive. Try to see if you can succeed in attacking White's last backchecker and maybe get him to leave another blot, and if all else fails getinto a back game/holding game and take your time building your home boardpoints. Try to avoid building lower points in your home board and watch yourtiming carefully. You don't want to be squeezed into playing your high rollsinto your low points because you got primed.
Rob Maier: 16/10, 6/5*.
Something of a toss-up. If the timing were more tilted I would opt formaking the 23 point. As it is, we should still try to go forward, if onlyto finish the job of fixing our timing. Passive plays like 23/16 shouldbe rejected.
Snowie: 24/23, 16/10.
I hate backgames as much or more than the next guy, but sometimes you justgotta play them. I am so far behind in the race that making the anchoron the two point is far better than making any other anchor. Any otherapproach risks having a position without much play.
Kit Woolsey: 16/10, 6/5*.
Making another point on White's side of the board with 23/16 or 24/23 anda six somewhere is tempting, but I think Blue can afford to try for more.If he can make his five point he will get an offense going, and if he ishit back after the loose hit he will be a favorite to make another anchorin White's board and play some kind of a backgame. 16/10, 6/5* lookslike the play which can win either frontwards or backwards.
Chris Yep: 16/10, 6/5*.
With Blue having a big race deficit, four back men to White's one, and an advanced anchor, everything points toward a bold play. 6/5* looks natural, unstacking the 6 point, fighting for the 5 point, and preventing White from escaping in one roll. With the 6, 16/10 looks best. 24/18 doesn't do much. It slots an advanced anchor, but Blue already has one. It also gives Blue more outfield control, but that doesn't look like the most important consideration here. 13/7 is the most aggressive 6, but it leaves too many blots. It gives White more numbers to hit back from the bar while leaving Blue only slightly better when White misses. Thus, I prefer 16/10, which still gives Blue a lot of covers for the 5 point, while reducing the number of return hits from the bar. Although White only has a 2 point board, Blue still has to show it some respect. The blot on White's 9 point is especially vulnerable since if White hits it, he simultaneously brings down a builder for the 3 and 7 point; also Blue will often have to break his anchor to return hit there.
Although I like 16/10 6/5*, the non-hitting plays are not necessarily bad. With Blue only having 6 men on his side of the board, it might be right to concentrate on defense (24/23 16/10 or 24/23 13/7) or outfield control (23/16), but since the 5 point is the biggest point on the board, I prefer 16/10 6/5*.
Summary: An even division between solidly locking up the outfieldpoint and stirring the checkers around with a loose hit. What is remarkableabout this position is that the lone vote for digging in ones heels andmaking the 23 point came from our resident bot. The bots have been showingus time and time again the evils of playing a backgame, yet here all theexperts shy away from one while Snowie is willing to sit and wait. Havewe come full circle?