Chuck Bower: 13/9(2).Close in the pipcount so no call to run. Unstack the heaviest point; add a point to the growing prime and builders for the 3-point. You *could* askfor more progress, but that would be greedy.
Steve Clark: 13/9(2).
Trying to escape from the 20 point seems to be a waste of a good roll. Wedon't make much progress and there are better things to be done.
13-11(2) looks obvious to me. After that I am not entirely sure. 13-9(2)has the merit of making an additional part of a prime. The loss of thesecond covering point (the 11 point) is not so important because we alsowill get long range shots from the 20 point if White jumps into ouroutfield. The benefits of this play are not entirely obvious but they couldbecome much clearer if, for instance, our opponent rolls a 2 and plays24-22. A second alternative to go with 13-11(2) would be 13-9. Thiscreates additional diversification but leaves a blot to be hit and fails tomake the 9 point. It could be right. Finally 13-9(3), 6-4 createsdiversification inside rather than outside. This play also could be right.Actually I can not see much to distinguish between these plays. I will gowith 13-9(2) not because I think it is better but because it is the leastlikely of the 3 plays to be considered.
Ray Fogerlund: 13/9(2).
Hold the 5 anchor to inhibit White's development...Unstack the midpoint without leaving blots... Activate 2 builders for the bar and the 3 points.
George Klitsas: 13/9(2).
13/11(2) 13/9 creates more builders for the bar point, but leaves the 6-2 joker. I prefer the solid 13/9(2), which aims for a 6-prime and keeps an eye on the 3-point.
Laila Leonhardt: 13/11(2), 13/9.
Blue's highest priority is to keep White's back checker from escaping, and thatmeans making the bar point. Even if hit on the 9 point, Blue will have adouble indirect hit, so unless White leaps with a 6-5 he will be serious badposition. Blue should keep his advance tight and clean, not scatter blotsaround that could get White back in the game. 1 blot with a guarantieddouble indirect if hit is a safety play that still brings an extra builderfor the bar point.(it's one of there positions that if you get this wrong,Kit will send you a list of his latest books,,,,you know my email Kit!)
Rob Maier: 20/16(2).
13/11(2) is very strong. Even though he is behind in the race, White still wants to escape his back checker. Making the eleven point does a lot to inhibit that. However, I keep hearing that when ahead in the race you should race, so I'm going to try that, and hope I don't roll 64 next.
Snowie: 13/9(2).
The nine point is the key point for our offense. It is the fourth part ofour prime, and it blocks White if he advances his back checker to ourthree point. Our back checkers are fine where they are now -- no needto advance them. Pressure on White's lone back checker has number onepriority.
Marty Storer: 13/9(2).
Simple and good. The 9 point is valuablein itself, building for the 3 point, the 8 point andthe bar. 20/16(2) is all right, but it's somewhatinflexible. 13/9(2) stays with the theme of pressuringWhite's back checker. With such a strong position,I don't want to leave any shots at all while I canfind a constructive play.
Bob Stringer: 13/9(2).
The anchor stays where it is to make life awkward for White. Moving itjust makes it easier for White to fill his inner board. The goal is toprevent White's last man from escaping. For me it's a close callbetween 13/11(2), 13/9 and 13/9(2). The former has appeal because itcovers the outfield the best, but I prefer the safer move. Making the9 point helps block White's back man, it aims at the 3 point from asafe vantage point, and it gives White the chance to roll somethingawkward. Not likely that White will dump 2 blots into his inner board(maybe on 4-3 or 3-2), but even if he has to leave a single blotthere, if I then roll a 5 I'm hitting on the ace point.
Casper van der Tak: 13/9(2).
Blue has to decide on the main source of his advantage. If it were the racing lead, then 20/16(2) would be indicated. If the advantage is positional, Blue should aim to build on it. To me, it is clear that the main source of Blue's advantage is positional. 12 pips ahead in a very long race is hardly overwhelming, and Blue has the strongest three point board against White's one point board. Moreover, Blue has an advanced anchor.
How to build on the positional advantage? By bringing the checkers on the midpoint into play. Among the plays that do that, 13/9 stands out for a number of reasons:
(1) It makes a point of the 6 prime Blue is going to make from the 4 to the 9 point;
(2) It provides builders for the three point
(3) It hinders White in building the board by keeping the 5-point occupied
Kit Woolsey: 20/18(2), 13/11(2).
I believe the emphasis here is on preventing White's back checker fromescaping. With that in mind, making the 11 point may be as good or betterthan making the nine point, since the 11 point guards our entire outerboard. Moving the anchor up to the midpoint so there is less danger ofgetting stuck makes sense also.
Chris Yep: 13/11, 13/9, 6/4.
Blue only has a 3-prime and a big stack of checkers on his midpoint, so there's an incentive to unstack the midpoint. On the other hand Blue is ahead in the race, so there is also the incentive to race. However, Blue's anchor currently puts pressure on White's 5 midpoint checkers by making it more difficult for White to bring down builders. Also the race is still relatively close. I would maintain the anchor for now and develop on the other side of the board. I like 13/11 13/9 6/4, which unstacks the 6 point and midpoint, guards the outfield, and puts Blue in position to make important blocking points in future rolls. Note for example that the 6-x rolls which allow Blue to either make his 3 point or bar point are diversified (6-1, 6-3 to make the 3 point; 6-2, 6-4, 6-6 to make the bar point) after this play.
Summary: The solid consensus was for making the valuable nine point.I can't say that is wrong -- the logic behind the play is quite clear.Still, I'm not totally convinced that this is the best way to containWhite's back checker.
