From: martys@juliet.ll.mit.edu ( Marty Storer )
Newsgroups: rec.games.backgammon
Subject: Re: 5-1 and 5-3 problems
Date: 8 Apr 92 00:38:32 GMT
Organization: M.I.T. Lincoln Lab - Group 43

In article <1992Apr6.211709.21882@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> jrk2v@galen.med.Virginia.EDU (John Robert Klein) writes:

>   When I was  up in DC last weekend I saw Kent Goulding.  Before he could
>   escape I cornered him and showed him two of the problems we've been
>   discussing  on the Net:
>
>
>
>	   |24 23 22 21 20 19| |18 17 16 15 14 13|
>	   | O  X  X  O  O  O| | O              X|
>	   | O  X  X  O  O  O| | O              X|
>	   | O  X           O| |                 |
>	   |                 | |                 |
>	   |                 | |                 |
>	   |                 | |                 |
>	   |         X       | |                 |
>	   |   O     X  X  X | |                 |
>	   |O  O     X  X  X | |   X             |
>	   |1  2  3  4  5  6 | |7  8  9  10 11 12|
>
>	    X  to  play a 5-3


   Wrong position:  O's third man on her 1 should be on her 5.

   He'd still make the 3, though 8-).

   Walter Trice's initial impression was to play 13/8, 23/22, but
   when he counted crack/bury numbers he switched to advocating
   8/3, 4/3.  "You scream at the captain if he plays 23/17."


>
>   KG  likes  making  the 3  point as do Marty, Elliott and  David.
>   And  probably others I've left out.
>   Maybe it does have  some merit  :).
>
>
>	   |24 23 22 21 20 19| |18 17 16 15 14 13|
>          |O  O  O  X  O  O | |   O             |
>          |O  O  O  X  O  O | |                 |
>          |O  O             | |                 |
>          |                 | |                 |
>	   |                 | |                 |
>	   |                 | |                 |
>	   |            X    | |                 |
>	   |X     X  O  X  X | |X  X             |
>	   |X     X  O  X  X | |X  X             | 
>	   |1  2  3  4  5  6 | |7  8  9  10 11 12|
>
>	    X to play 5-3   -  I'm not sure  wher O's extra men were.
>			       I put them on the 24 and 23 points.
>                              [Right.]
>
>   Here KG  likes  clearing the 8 point.


  Well, KG plays better than I do, but I still don't like that play.

  Rollout fodder!!

>
>   He thought it likely that X would  be able  to run off the 21 with
>   less risk later - 
>
>   His second choice was 21/18,  21/16.  He  thought making the  2 point
>   risked  too  much from the immediate hit.


  This problem looks like a candidate for "Inside Backgammon."

  (Later)  Walter Trice also likes 8/3, 8/5!  "It has the benefit that
  you don't instantly lose on 11 numbers."  (You don't quite lose, because
  you're alive if you come in right away; but if you don't you're dead.)
  Walter's style is conservative, but the fact that both he and KG like 8/3,
  8/5 means there's a very good chance it's right.

  I still vote for 7/2, 5/2, but waveringly.

  Walter may roll it out if the spirit moves him.  I may, but don't
  count on it.  I have a lot of other rollout projects ahead of this
  one, and I may not get to any of them.

  Can you get KG onto the net?  Make friends with a sysadmin and get him
  a guest account or something?  He's one of my backgammon heroes--his
  "Backgammon With The Champions" series was responsible for my second
  quantum leap in skill (Magriel's book occasioned my first).

  ARE WE LEARNING ANYTHING YET????  GIMME A "Y"!  [etc.]


			Play well,

			Marty