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Cube action failure

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05-18-2014 , 05:16 PM

kingstalker

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 445

This type of position comes up frequently when I play XG. I have a checker on the bar and blots under attack, but in compensation I also have the enemy checkers behind a small prime. I was doubled here and passed , but it is a huge blunder as XG as only favored +0.350 here. I have a lot of trouble evaluating this position. Can anybody explain this one as why this is such an easy take?

White - Pips 142. Match Score 0/5

Black - Pips 139. Match Score 3/5
White on roll. Cube action?
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05-18-2014 , 08:35 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

White trails in the race and has four checkers in back behind a 4-point block. A lot can go wrong while White tries to get out. He's in immediate trouble after 55, 44, or 54 on his first roll.

In addition, White has only a 4-point board and it's not likely to get better anytime soon. Put those two factors together and it looks like an easy take.

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05-19-2014 , 02:25 AM

Frank the Tank

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,458

I would have snap dropped this OTB and thanked my opponent for cubing me before I started practicing with GNU. Two of the more important things I've learned since then are that a 4 point board is not as strong as you think and a broken prime is not as weak as you think especially when there are multiple checkers trapped behind it. Position specifically, white is not closing you out any time soon and has some risk of crunching his board if he doesn't get some of the back checkers out.

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