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eXtreme gammon and back games

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05-08-2017 , 12:31 PM

Keir

newbie

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 22

How good is eXtreme gammon at back games?

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05-08-2017 , 02:01 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keir

How good is eXtreme gammon at back games?

It's extremely good, although it makes a few more errors than in other phases of the game.

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05-12-2017 , 08:25 AM

Keir

newbie

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 22

How often does xg at the strongest setting adopt backgame tactics? I've heard that neural networks very rarely play them.

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05-12-2017 , 08:55 AM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Based on my own practice sessions, XG will find itself in a backgame in 1 or 2 games out of 100. Most of those will be high backgames, of the 5-4, 5-3, 4-3, 5-2 variety. I'm not sure I've ever seen XG involved on the wrong side of a 1-2 backgame.

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05-12-2017 , 09:00 AM

Keir

newbie

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 22

So is that a strong indication that human players should avoid low back games?

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05-12-2017 , 05:31 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

Yes, although that's not news. It's been a long time since 'playing for the back game' was a viable style. Having said that, sometimes the dice don't give you a choice.

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05-12-2017 , 11:06 PM

Keir

newbie

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 22

If "sometimes the dice don't give you a choice", how does xg avoid them? You say you've never seen "xg involved on the wrong side of a 1-2 backgame"; and for xg to play any kind of low backgame appears to be extremely rare judging from your comment - much less than 1 in a 100 games.

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05-13-2017 , 05:38 AM

bleep69

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 483

I think its a question of a combination of less than optimal play and some poor dice. I often think to myself that xg never gets into the positions I find myself in, yet pinpointing the exact move it all went wrong is not easy even in retrospect.

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05-14-2017 , 10:48 AM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

XG avoids more back games than I do because it plays better at certain critical junctures in middle games where both sides have several men back. It's able to spot danger earlier than I can.

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05-14-2017 , 11:34 AM

#10

Keir

newbie

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robertie

XG avoids more back games than I do because it plays better at certain critical junctures in middle games where both sides have several men back. It's able to spot danger earlier than I can.

Well clarified, thank you.

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07-13-2017 , 01:11 PM

#11

yogiman

adept

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 784

Maybe another reason that XG avoids backgames is that positions can get very messy, positions it is not able to assess properly.

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