Position 309

 How should White play 52 here?

I just want to remind all the non-New Zealand players, that this position is a money game as played in New Zealand meaning that the Jacoby rule is not being used so either side can lose a gammon.

If the thought of losing a gammon scares you, then you could just play 7/2 5/3:

This play minimises the chances of you losing a gammon, but at the price of destroying your board. Now if you do manage to get lucky and hit a Black checker, you will have a very hard time containing it. This is way too conservative, and your opponent does have an inner board blot, so getting hit when your opponent does not roll a 3, 2 or 1 will give you a return shot from the bar. This should make you willing to take a risk, so you consider playing 17/10:

This play seems to strike the right balance, you will have shots if your opponent misses you and is forced to move one of the checkers from the 14 point.

The problem with this play, is that when you get the shot it will usually only be a single shot.

Consider 17/12 7/5:

You will be hit with any 6 or 1, but your opponent can use 1’s to safety the blot on their 4 point so you had no direct hitting numbers from the bar. This duplication means that you can afford to make this play as it will give you a double shot on the rolls where your opponent misses you and leaves a shot. Those 8 numbers – 54, 53, 52 and 43 are terrible for Black.

Some of Blacks hitting numbers like 42 and 41 will enable you to enter with high numbers and hit with low numbers.

The take away here is that due to our opponents inner board blot being on their 4 point, that blot will remain and give you return shots from the bar with a lot of Blacks rolls. You want to maximise those return shots by giving yourself a double shot.



If we now remove our opponents inner board blot, then it is a tie between leaving only a single shot with 17/10 or tearing up your board with 7/2 5/3.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Position 316

Image
 How should White play 61 here? Do you hit or do you take another checker off? Consider 10/4 1/off: Many times, I’ve been told that you should taking more checkers off as you will win more games if you are hit. This is great advice and usually applies, but like all rules of thumb, it is good to understand the exceptions or when the rule does not apply. In order for your opponent to win, they would like to put both of your checkers on the bar. This means that if they roll a 41 here, they should hit 22/21* and then play 6/2 hoping to be hit and to pick up your checker on your 1 point. If they hit with any other roll, they should spread their checkers out so that you have to hit them as you are escaping from their board. What is interesting to note if your opponent played a 41 this way, they would win 43% of the time. If you play the correct 10/3*: Your opponent can never pick up a second checker after they hit your checker on our 3 point. Rules of thumb a great, but some positi
Read more for the solution»

Position 315

Image
 How should White play 43 here? This is a position from the world champs where the score has been removed. I just want to remind readers that this is a money position as played in New Zealand i.e., without the Jacoby rule. If it helps, just think of this is the first game in a 25 point match. Gammons are active even without the cube being turned. It is always good to hit and go ahead in the race, unless you are in a priming situation. Consider 24/21* 7/3: You go from being behind in the race to being ahead in the race. Although you have kept your 4 prime, your opponent has a lot of double hits here from the bar. If you are hitting, is 7/3 the best move with the 4? You have duplicated your own 3’s to cover, make your 21 point anchor and play 21/18 escaping. If you are going to hit the better play is 24/21* 6/2: This move diversifies your future rolls giving you 5’s and 4’s to cover the blot on your 2 point and 6’s and 3’s to anchor or escape on your opponent’s side of the board.
Read more for the solution»