Problem of the Week #13: June 2




Cash game, center cube. Black on roll.

(a) Black to play 5-3.

(b) Black to play 3-1.

(a) bar/22 8/3*. I don't really have any reasoning in defence of this other than that all the other 5s look worse. Getting hit doesn't really bother me as I need to establish an advanced anchor at some point anyway.

(b) bar/21 looks mandatory? I get the feeling I'm missing the point of this problem. I guess one plausible alternative is bar/22 6/5, but I'm not thrilled about the idea of getting hit off the 5.

I think I would play 13/8 with first roll, because I don't like the idea of 1. leaving an extra blot and 2. stripping the 8 point. With 8/3* white probably ships the cube.
The second roll I would consider playing bar/21. Once again I don't want to leave a lot of blots out and my first priority here is to make an advanced anchor. Problem with this play is that a lot of good rolls require a 3 (to hit, to make the 5 point, to make the 3 point, to make the advanced anchor) so as to diversify the number of good rolls I might play bar/22, 11/10 or 24/23. I don't like the idea of slotting the 5 point at all. That would most likely result in your opponent shipping the cube and you having to pass it. In the end I think I would play 24/23 because it leaves less shots to your blot on the 11 point then there would be when it's moved to the 10 point (64, 44 and 62 (22 as well, but I wouldn't hit with that roll), a total of 5 shots, whereas you can get hit on the 10 point with 63, 54, 33, 61, 52 and 43, a total of 11 shots).

White probably ships the cube anyway, n'est ce pas?

Yes, that came to my mind as well after my previous post. But I think the importance of this play is the difference between a take and a pass.

I think it's going to be double/take on any move, within reason.

Hitting is way too loose. He's not even on a good point. If he were on the 5 point, I might hit loose. But hitting way back on the three point seems wrong. I think the quiet 13/8 is best.

I'm with Chris. It looks like the obvious bar/21 to me. Since white has no attackers, I don't see any problem with going right up to the edge of his prime.

I can see that staying back with something like bar/22 24/23 would be better if attackers were in range. By leaving a space, if he points on you he's going to have a gap in his prime, so staying back prevents him from doing two good things at once -- but this doesn't seem to be an issue in this position.

The problem with bar/21 is that the a 3 is involved in a lot of your good rolls. You don't want to copy your good numbers, quite the contrary, I would think (unless you're a seer). To me anyway, this is a major issue. Therefore I would look for other reasonable plays. And out of those other plays, bar/22 24/23 looks best to me.

Yeah you may be right. I was a bit flippant about how bad getting hit back is, since one good alternative to making an advanced anchor is running like hell. Given that, leaving what is essentially a double direct shot seems less good. I definitely think bar/21 for the 3-1 is right.

What about 5s? As we just saw trying to play 5-1, they are pretty awful for you at the moment. Being able to use one to run away looks good to me.

What good rolls? 31 should be a good roll next time, and 53 might point on our opponent's head if his blot is still there next roll.

If you play bar/22 24/23, then you take away your good 1s. This means 61, 41, and 31. That takes away more rolls, and in this position you would much rather make those points because it starts to connect a prime rather than making the 3 point, which is more of an attacking point.

Also, Chris' point about getting work out of your 5s is a good one.