Problem of the Week #84: November 15


Cash game, center cube. Black on roll.





Should Black double? If doubled, should White take, drop, or beaver?


Note: All ‘cash game’ problems assume the Jacoby Rule is in effect. That is, you can’t win a gammon unless the cube has been turned.

Even tough White has 3 men back and Black's bar point is already made, he (White) has a sound structure. And 2 blots (not counting the back man). Well, if I'm not sure about the take, it should be a good double. And since Black doesn't have a strong board yet, it looks like an easy take. (Now I'm not sure about the double!) Sigh!! One thing's for sure, there seems to be a lot of volatility. I'll go with double and take.

Double / Take

Let's see...
Black is ahead on the race with a three prime that can easily be extended into a four prime and white still only has a few points slotted and the original anchor.

Black has a bunch of good numbers (very nice builder on the 10 point):

51, 52, 53, 31, 32, 21, 11 make the five-point - very strong for black and it will be tough for white to improve on both sides of the board quickly; white will have a few bad numbers afterwards but I think that there's enough chances for counter play with most numbers (it's also likely that white will have a two-point board just like black); white is not happy though;
45 and 44 are strong double hitters - white needs a joker;
41, 42, 43, 46, 36 hit or make a point - white has some bad sixes from the bar when he is hit and will need an anchor or a return hit; white is not happy;
65 escapes that back checker and white will demand from the dice at least a three-point anchor or a hit on the 10 pt;
26 makes the four pt - strong but white will have slightly better fours to play;
16 is bleh and white is happy;
22 hits and points;
33 hits and escapes (I think that is the correct play);
55 and 66 could be better.

Looks like a strong double to me. Black will have many variations where he will win by racing, priming or attacking. It's unusual to have a strong double early on having only a one-point board and no enemy checkers on the bar. But almost everything will improve black's position and put the demands on white.

How about the take?

As white I'm not able to pass if the opponent only has a one-point board and I have all my checkers in play on the board. I think that there is just enough counter play most of the time here.
White really needs something going for him on the next couple of rolls, but black's position still hasn't turned into a winner.

Double / Take

grunch.

Double/take.

If White had a worse structure or black had more than one point made I lean towards dropping I think, but seems to be enough here for white to take.

I think that blacks double is clear. race lead, better structure and a bunch of numbers that both unstack and make a four prime (with builders left to easily extend). The take/drop decision is tough, and must be very close, but I would take. black still only has a one point board. Also, white is far enough behind in the race (with all his checkers in play) if black picks up the blot on the five that white could fight from a back game in many variations.

double/take

This is a solid double for black.
Normally, I wouldn't think to double so early on but it is a pretty good double. Black has a nice lead, a few blots he's shooting at, he has the bar point and has a bunch of rolls that will build another point. White has no board yet so blacks checker on the 24 point is safe.

From white's perspective, he has the anchor on the 1 point and he still has connectivity between his checkers, he has a chance to make the 20 point if he doesn't get hit. So, he still has decent chances in this game.

Answer - Double/Take

Grunch.

Black has achieved much. Center block, one man escaped, solid racing advantage. Threatening to expand the block. Lot will improve, nothing will be a set back.
White has nothing beyond repair. Despite there is nothing, he has a good structure that suddenly can improve.

Double, take.

Hi everyone!

As my debut in this forum I will venture to say this is a drop. Black has almost no bad numbers (61, 55, 66?) and white has nothing going for him. Most of the time white will be stuck behind a 4-prime and/or have four men back with no good anchor.

If white is not hit next turn he might make his 5- or 7-point but that will probably not be enough to block that last black checker. Unless white is able to anchor very soon this will be a long uphill battle.

Double/Drop

In Problem 84, it looks like Black rolled an early double six which he played by piling onto his bar point. He is way ahead in the race, but unless he rolls doubles on this roll, he cannot both hit and make a home board point.

Is his racing lead enough to double? Perhaps it is, but Black should be wary of cubing his opponent when he has yet to make a home board point. And if he does make a point on this turn, it is likely that White will match him when he rolls. Conversely, if Black hits on this turn, White will then have a good chance to make an advanced anchor.

In either circumstance will Black have lost his market?

I think not.

My solution: No double/take.

For the Record
I am so often wrong that I like to post my record in these messages. It's kind of a truth-in-advertising thing. Grunch: I have been answering these problems without the use of a bot, and before checking the excellent solutions of others, since Problem 28. My record at this writing is 51%.

Double/Pass

We are ahead by 38 pips, attacking 1 blot directly and 1 other blot indirectly. We have a 3-point prime that is easily expanded to 4-points with 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1(even though we hit with this roll), 5-1. We make innerboard points with 6-2, 6-3 and 6-4. This looks like an easy double.

The take looks tougher. The reason I like a take is mainly the lack of a black homeboard. This game could turn into a backgame very soon and white should have enough timing and structure to take.

The take question seems pretty easy. Your fallback position has ~15% of the equity you need, and you have plenty of chances to roll into something a lot better. It's hard to drop like that with only 1 home point and behind a 3-prime, you're anchored (even if it's only the 1), and you don't have a bunch of dead checkers or something. Yeah, you clearly have the ass end of it, but it's not panic time yet. You aren't doomed to the 1 or 2-point game yet. Even if you get another checker hit, you have a decent chance to make a second anchor. It's not really a backgame (you're hoping to get the shot before he makes the rest of his board, not while he bears in or clears it), it's just an extra anchor and some more time. You can't drop (and beavering should get you committed).

I guess it has to be a double on general principles.. solid race lead, better structure, and some threats of hoovering/hitting into an ugly 1-point game or quickly making a near-prime.

Double/take.

Unless I'm missing something here this looks like a straight forward double/take. Blacks double seems pretty clear and I wouldn't drop as white but I know some players would (Woolsey's law). I guess if I was tilted I might drop as white but I would then cash out and go home.

Double/take

I dont think black has too much here....

He has 3 stacked points, a stripped midpoint, nothing yet made in his home board, and white seems just fine, if not completely ok... The take is trivial imo, and I would wait a roll before doubling.

Hi,

I can only see one none-constructive move for black: 61.
I think black should double, especialy since the Jacoby rule is in effect and there are certainly gammon chances in this position.
White however should take, because he still has a chance to make his 5-point, has his 1-point anchor and could get a better anchor and/or a backgame.


greetings k.

drop

strong double / take.