Alan Alsop: 13/9, 6/1*.Hit the man on the 1 pt and move down from the midpt. Not much choice on this move but hope the next throw is more accommodating.
Chuck Bower: 13/9, 13/8.
This is an easy play for a midpoint iconoclast. Bringthe builders/attackers into position. Blue would likethe action to be in his homeboard, slapping around White's lonely straggler.
George Klitsas: 13/4.
To me, it�s between 13/4 and 13/8 6/2. Although the latter leaves fewer immediate hits, I slightly prefer 13/4, for it leads to more compact positions in the long term, in Blue�s effort to contain White�s rear checker.
Snowie: 13/9, 6/1*.
Nothing is productive, and I'm going to have to leave a shot whatever I do.Therefore, I might as well develop my position and put White on thebar. A blitz may seem a long way off, but with White having justone lone checker back it is still possible.
Marty Storer: 13/9, 6/1*.
This is reasonable since it brings an outsidebuilder for more pressure when White misses; also White's61 is a bad hitting number, and his 62 and 66 aren't verygood. The problem is the checker on the 1 point, which isn'ttoo well placed. However, it's not too badly placed either,because Blue wants to attack the lonely blot, and wouldn'tmind covering. I think the tactical benefits are good enoughto make 6/1* 13/9 slightly better than 13/4, which is myvery close second choice. Blue doesn't want to break themidpoint and probably would rather play 13/4, keeping thebar point, instead of 8/3 7/3, gaining a two-point boardbut losing the better blocking point.
Bob Stringer: 13/9, 6/1*.
I have to leave a blot. Hitting White with 6/1* starts to unstack my 6point, and if White enters without hitting, I won't mind dumping morecheckers behind his straggler, since I'm ahead in the race. Plus, 13/9improves my flexibility a bit.
Casper van der Tak: 13/9, 6/1*.
Blue is going to leave quite some shots no matter what, and this play has the advantage of putting White on the bar, taking away half the roll, and possibly forcing White forward so that next rolls play easier. The play also gets a total of 11 checkers in the zone, so a blitz is not out of the question.
Anyway, 13/9 6/1* is often the play with a 54 after an early 66, so it got to be right�
Steve Wood: 13/9, 6/1*.
There is no pretty play. The tempo hit leaves me good priming possibilities and leaves less returns than the alternative 13/4.
Kit Woolsey: 13/9, 13/8.
I'm going have to leave a shot whatever I do, and I don't need the midpointfor anything since I am sitting on White's bar point. The main plan isto build a blockade to contain White's back checker, with a bar-pointgame or a straight race in reserve. The one thing I don't want is forWhite to hit a shot with that back checker.
Chris Yep: 13/4.
I don't like 18/9. Leaving the anchor is not necessarily bad, but the blot left behind on the 18 point is exposed to a triple shot and Blue has the problem of having to clean up 2 blots next turn. I'm also not a fan of 8/3 7/3 and 7/2 6/2. They leave a direct shot and make a point too deep in Blue's board. 13/9 13/8 strips the midpoint, but is otherwise strong. 13/8 6/2 and 13/9 6/1* look like serious candidates. However I like 13/4. When in doubt it often pays to put your checkers where they do the most good if not hit. If Blue can make the 4 point he'll have a nice offensive position.
Summary: With many possible themes to choose from, the panel wasstrong in their choice of the loose hit on the ace point. It could wellbe right, but it isn't at all obvious to me.
