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Checker play: Feeling clueless

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03-11-2010 , 07:17 PM

Hallberg

enthusiast

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 54

Somebody showed me this position and I made my mind up after about 15 sec. There was as many opinions as there were people present.

Now, black is to move 32 owning the cube in money game. What to do and why?

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03-11-2010 , 08:57 PM

gammoner

adept

Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 857

I'd go 8/5* 6/4. We might as well put the checkers where we want them, and if we get hit back, who cares? We're going to get gammoned if the backgame fails anyway, and we may even need the time. The main thing we don't want is to bury checkers, and 6/3 does a little of that, so after 8/5*, 6/4 looks prettier.

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03-11-2010 , 10:05 PM

Hallberg

enthusiast

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 54

Nice

That was exatly my agruments for making that play. Unfortunately neither of the 3 giants I asked prefered that play which is supported by the bots.

So - we still need alternatives and good arguments for them.

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03-11-2010 , 10:30 PM

Taper_Mike

adept

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,030

Clueless Too!
Here are a few observations that guide me toward a hitting play: 8/5*/3.

Unless Black can get a late hit, the gammon has already been lost, so Black has a certain amount of freedom to take risks.
The five and one points do not work well together in a backgame. Many shots, when they come, will be only single shots, and later, Black's backgame will often collapse into a one-point game.
Black will need to build an outside prime, get a late hit, and walk his prime home if he is to win. To this end, inner board checkers are wasted. This is the main reason why I reject playing two men in from the eight point.
If Black hits now, White should not hit back in return. A Black checker in the inner board is a negative for Black, so White should not help Black by sending it back around.
Black may as well hit anyway. The checker on the three point is a problem, but White might be forced or silly enough to hit back, thus solving Black's problem.

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03-11-2010 , 10:41 PM

Taper_Mike

adept

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,030

Having now posted my solution, I just reviewed suggestions made earlier. It seems that all my arguments could be used to support the move 8/5*, 6/4 as well as mine!

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03-11-2010 , 11:51 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

I would play 8/6/3, not hitting. Getting more men back doesn't help your winning chances at all but increases your gammon chances (slightly) and your backgammon chances (probably a lot). There's also the danger that you'll be on the bar when you could have hit a shot.

By not hitting, Black can use 4s to advance 24/20, 5s and 6s to escape, and small numbers to build his board. The 1-5 is a very weak backgame, so Black's emphasis should be on saving the gammon while preserving his modest winning chances.

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