Step Up or Leap Out?
by Walter Trice
18 June 2009
Walter Trice
For two months this column has addressed checker play problems in which the main issue has been whether to play 24/18 or 13/7 with a six. We found that the pip count alone was surprisingly good at picking the better six to play, with a significant deficit often pointing to the offensive slot 13/7.
Historically, expert backgammon players began in the late 1980's to shift away from a 13/7 bias toward 24/18 along with a trend toward opening plays involving a 24/18 six. For an opening 6-2, 13/5 had been very common. Today anything but 24/18, 13/11 is rare. The standard opening 6-4 had been the running 24/14, while nowadays players often will choose 24/18, 13/9, or will make the deuce point with 8/2, 6/2. I have always assumed that Bill Robertie's discussion of the issue in his book Reno 1986 (published in 1987) was a pivotal influence. As I recall, within a few weeks of the book's publication the 5 point slot with opening 6-2 had disappeared at the New England Backgammon Club.
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1.
Subject: Re: Step Up or Leap Out?
From:
afeld
Date:
18 Jun 2009 18:23 EST
Dear Walter, there seems to be much misprinting in your article.
See e.g. problem 6, were Green has thrown 6-2.
You write:
"Problem 6 looks somewhat similar to Problem 5. Green starts 10 pips up, so he does not want to play prime vs. prime. (Note just how bad 13/8, 13/10 would be here!) 24/16 is an okay play, but 24/21, 13/8 looks just a bit better, putting a builder on the eight and reducing stackage on the midpoint."
How can Green move here 24/21, 13/8 ???
Your comment adresses probably a 5-3 but not a 6-2.
Please correct these likely "copy/paste" errors.
Thank you :-)
Andreas
2.
Subject: Re: Step Up or Leap Out?
From:
trice
Date:
18 Jun 2009 21:10 EST
Right, Andreas. What is showing at the moment is problems from a previous column. This will be fixed soon. Thanks for pointing out the error.
-- Walter
3.
Subject: Re: Step Up or Leap Out?
From:
afeld
Date:
23 Jun 2009 15:33 EST
Dear Walter, thank you for correction!
Andreas
@webmaster: After fixing of the errors my post is obsolete now. You may delete it.
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