I'm surprised at the wide variety of responses Part (a) has generated. In reply to an opening move, most would automatically hit with a roll of 31 rather than make the five point. Yet in this position, where Black is making only his second move, many now prefer to make the five point. For all the usual reasons (race, tempo, send a man back), I like the hit.
More difficult, I think, is the choice of ones. Making the twenty-three point walks right into a prime, as Uberkuber points out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by uberkuber
I think this is to White's advantage, since he's the one blocking us 6 pips away.
There are two reasons, however, why I prefer it over moving forward to the nine point.
First, the ten point is a better place for a blot than the nine. It can be hit with fewer combinations. Consider also what happens when White misses. With a Black blot on the nine point, White can pass with any roll of ten. When the blot is on the ten point instead, White must face a double shot if he elects to run with a roll of nine.
Second, making the twenty-three point takes away all of White's sixes. And, he'll roll one 30% of the time. Here's what I said about this in Problem 48:
This is an often overlooked advantage in the early game. At the start of a game, a player holds only the six point in his home board, and therefore has little expectation that a hit will keep his opponent on the bar. Only 66 is blocked. Nevertheless, an early hit can be a strong forcing play when your opponent has no convenient six to play. When he rolls a six from the bar (10 times in 36), the other die must be used to enter, and the six then becomes a problem for him. For this reason, it often pays to avoid leaving your opponent a six after an early hit.
All of the foregoing notwithstanding, consider how often the consensus/majority solution on this board is right. I should not be surprised, therefore, to learn I am wrong again! Kudos to Bill Robertie for posing yet another good problem.
Last edited by Taper_Mike; 03-03-2010 at 11:00 PM.