Alan Alsop: 8/3, 6/3.Ahead in the race so running must be considered. Moving from the bar pt 18/15, 18/13 has merit, but18/10 is doubtful leaving a lonely man back. Bringing down a man from the mid pt does create an extra builder. This all allows White the time necessary to play his own game. I believe making the 3 pt is the stronger move although exposing the 8 pt. The extra men on the 6 pt and with White having a weak position this is the better move.
Chuck Bower: 18/10.
Blue has a big race lead and several tactical choices: agression, safety, or running. White's vulnerable blot in the homeboard eases Blue's concerns considerably, eliminating the safe option. Loose hits in Blue's homeboard, OTOH seem to help White, particularly in the race. Making the 3-point adds structure and unstacks the heavy 6-point, but also gives White several shots at improving. 18/10 also adds to Blue's structure, but the return hits are far less costly. I think this situation provides Blue with a good chance to take advantage of White's homeboard blot and attempt to press his race lead, so 18/10 gets my vote.
Ilia Guzei: 13/10, 6/1*.
Hitting is good as I am unstacking the 6 point while duplicating White's ones and forcing him to move up in my board to facilitate my bearing in. 13/10 prepares a landing place and while bearing on my 4 point.
Oystein Johansen: 13/10, 13/8.
Tough problem. I'm up in the race, so I should play safe, but I can't. Avery common problem. Since White doesn't have any board yet and even a blotthere, I don't think I should necessarily play the safest 13/5 or 13/106/1*. I will just get into a similar decision next roll. I don't likeleaving the bar point either, since if a chequer is hit then it won't haveany communication to an anchor. Making the three point leaves to many blotsand may spoil the current game plan, which is running home. This leaves thebest play 13/8 13/10. I won't start an argument with a player in chouettevoting for 13/5 either.
Neil Kazaross: 18/15, 18/13.
We have a nice race lead here and need to consider whether to try to disengage with 18-13, 18-15 or to find some play on our own side of the board. Let's around for a 5 after covering the 10 point. Continuing 10-5 is too frontloading and seems inferior to the other 5's. 6-1x has the merit of unstacking and some be the most gammonish play. 18-13 dupes aces, but I think this play isn't as good as the running 18-13, 18-15. 13-8 after 13-10 is a nice building play also duping aces, but I think 6-1x has more going for it.
Looking at it all, and noting our nice race lead, I slightly prefer to run and dupe 3's with 18-13, 18-15 so that's my vote. I realize that it still will take another turn or two to really clean things up after this play, but White has little board made.
George Klitsas: 18/15, 18/13.
It seems thematic to move from the 18 point. The timing is such (Blue is well ahead in the race) that, if he does not make his move now, he will face in all probability great difficulties later. Between the two candidates, I prefer 18/15 18/13. Three's are duplicated and Blue's blot on the ten point is practically immune for that roll, since only 33 hit and cover White's slot.
Laila Leonhardt: 18/15, 18/13.
Clearing the 18 point has to be top priority for Blue.He is ahead in the race has a stronger position and a possible gammon threatand he wants to get off the 18 point before White starts building a betterboard.
Blue has to choose between 18/15-18/13 or 18/10So lets briefly look at what will guide him to making a decision on whatmove to make:
18/10While will hit with all 6's and 1's, 22, 33, 4-226 numbers and of these6-1, 6-3, 1-3, 11 33 22 hits and covers (9 numbers)
18/15 18/13Will be hit with all 3's and 2-1,5-3,6-3,6-219 numbers and of these3-1,33, 5-3 hits and covers (5 numbers)
Leaving 2 blots may seem like an extra risk, but Blue is in no danger ofgetting double hit and therefore should go with the move that would minimizethe chances of getting hit in the first place.
Snowie: 13/10, 6/1*.
The ten point is a valuable asset. Let's combine that with a loose hiton the ace point. This takes away half of White's roll, and gives himalmost no numbers which hit and make the five point. If we can keep Whiteoff balance for a bit, very good things might happen. More passive playsgive White a chance to consolidate his mess.
Marty Storer: 13/10, 13/8.
Very tough. I reject 18/10 right away; too many hit-coverscompared to 18/13 18/15. If I hadn't seen rollout resultsfrom Problem 8 of the October 2001 quiz, I would have picked13/5. That minimizes shots and keeps all assets, evenadding a builder, though with a conspicuous frontload;however, nothing's out of play. But what intially lookedobvious to me for 10/01 #8, 13/3, actually fared worsethan a more ambitious play. This problem is similarenough to that one to give me pause; actually, I reject13/5 as missing a good opportunity to improve. How toimprove? Making the 3 point, as in a problem last month,is attractive; but I don't like the 6 hit-covers, plus 62to hit two, plus 64 to hit and safety, plus some 5-duplicationof returns on other hitting numbers. So it's either 18/1518/13, trying to race when ahead, giving only 5 hit-coversand providing return shots in case White hits the 10-pointbuilder; or 13/8 13/10. I don't have a strong feeling eitherway, but I have another type of reference position for comparison:After starting with 66 and following with 62 or 63, it's oftenright to break the midpoint with 13/7 13/x, adding an outsidebuilder rather than slotting inside. The reason is that beinghit on the midpoint hurts less than being hit in the inner board,and the threat to improve the prime is still strong. Thatsituation seems similar to this position; leaving a blot on themidpoint hurts less, giving only 3 hit-covers while keeping thedefensive 18 point. 13/8 13/10 also adds building power,reinforcing the stripped 8 point and making the 10 point, whichis a good base for priming and attacking threats. Breaking the18 point to try to flee is reasonable, but it leaves 15 shots andsome consolidation worries when the blots are missed. Also,some return shots with 5's, bar/20*, are duplicated with 15/10*.Abandoning the 18 point early, trying to race when ahead, iscorrect less often than many people think.
Bob Stringer: 18/15, 18/13.
Ahead in the race and with a better board I see no reason to leavedirect shots or to isolate the anchor on White's bar point. Thatmakes the choice between 18/10 and 18/15, 18/13. Hope I countedright, but the former leaves 24 shots, which is too many even ifsome of those shots are pretty bad for White (6-4 or 4-1, forexample). The latter leaves only 15 shots, and while it also puts*two* men in jeopardy, if White misses it will be somewhat easierto consolidate the position, so that's my choice.
Casper van der Tak: 18/10.
Ahead in the race, so race. Making the 10-point is useful, and the bar is becoming a liability for Blue. By breaking the bar now that Blue has the better board and White has a blot in his board implements the racing plan at an opportune time. If Blue waits, White's position is likely to get stronger, making later hits more costly.
Kit Woolsey: 18/15, 18/13.
We are ahead in the race, and White's board is currently non-existent.This looks like a good time to break off the back anchor and try to bringall of our checkers home together. White doesn't have very many hit and covernumbers. Other approaches improve our offense, but not very much, and theback checkers will be a problem later on when White has a stronger board.
Chris Yep: 18/15, 18/13.
In some respects this is a pay now vs. pay later problem. Blue is ahead 27 pips after-roll. Because of Blue's substantial race lead, White has plenty of time to hold his key points while he waits for Blue to clear the 18 point. Instead of getting squeezed off his anchor at a later point in time (when White is likely to have a stronger board), it looks right to run now while White has a weak board. Other plays leave Blue with a stripped inflexible position.
Summary: When ahead in the race, race, says the panel. It sure looksto be the thematic play here.
