Alan Alsop: 6/5, 6/4.White with two innerboard blots and Blue behind he can afford to be aggressive. Breaking from the midpt is not to my liking at present. I'll go for unstacking the heavy 6 pt.
Chuck Bower: 6/5, 6/4.
There is no comfortable play here. Trading one point foranother is one thing, but in a situation such as this,breaking the 10-point for no gain is out of the question, IMO.13/10 isn't as bad, but why should Blue be stepping scared.Safe-vs-bold is strongly on the 'bold' side here. White'stwo homeboard blots give Blue the green light. Theprogressive play is to start the two best points in thehomeboard, unstacking the heavy 6-point.
Ilia Guzei: 6/5, 6/4.
I just reread Robertie�s �Modern backgammon� and am allergic to high stacks. This play unstacks the heavy 6 point, puts the checkers where I want them, and exploits White�s vulnerable board. 6/3 does not quite place the checker where I want it while other plays dismantle existing points.
Neil Kazaross: 6/5, 6/4.
Well..it's time to show the kibitzers that I actually still rememberhow to leave blots in the name of purity. 6-5,6-4 stands out as the play here since the alternatives also stink and there's two blots in White's board. I feel this double slot is worth the risk.
George Klitsas: 10/8, 6/5.
Although Blue controls the outfield from the 20 point, I don�t like conceding the midpoint here, therefore I reject both 13/10 and 13/11 6/5. 6/5 6/4 is very tempting because of White�s inner board blots, still too rich for my blood. If Blue was ahead in the race, then 10/8 10/9 would be probably my choice. Being (slightly) behind, Blue must thematically �shuffle� the cards by slotting the five point [from the heavy six point]- but which is the best two in that case? In my opinion, slightly better than 8/6 (which leaves a cramped position) is the more flexible 10/8, despite breaking the 10 point and my solution is 10/8 6/5.
Laila Leonhardt: 6/3.
All the points are nice points.The extra checker on the 8-point is a nice builder.So when you don't want to compromise your position, slip opponent one ofthose at the moment un-useful checkers from a loaded point, that if his willserve as flexibility and if not hit may create a point that will come inhandy along the way.
Snowie: 6/5, 6/4.
Ever since I was born, I have been teaching you humans the dangers ofindiscriminate slotting. There are times when it is right to slot, andwhen these times occur I can slot along with the best of them. This isone of those times. I have an anchor. White has two inner board blots.I have an ugly stack on my six point. White has one back checker whichI need to contain. Everything points to a big play.
Marty Storer: 6/5, 6/4.
Now Magriel's criteria favor a bold play. Unstackingfrom the 6 is too tempting to pass up, even against a fair amountof hit-covers. White is unlikely to hit and cover both, and 12numbers miss. Trading hit for return favors Blue by making itharder for White to enter a race. Alternatives seem far too weenie.
Bob Stringer: 6/3.
I can't see playing anything but 6/3. The race is close, but I'mbehind and the 10 point is the only thing I have on offense.Giving up the 10 point and piling another checker on the 8 pointcan't be right. Breaking the midpoint can't be right either, notwhile I have checkers that may want to escape from the 20 pointsome day -- if I can prevent White's checker from escaping I won'thave to rely on a holding game. 8/5 has the advantage of startinga better point than does 6/3, but it strips the 8 point, which Iwant to keep, and I *must* unpile that 6 point some time. 6/5, 6/4-- what can I say; it looks too wild and crazy, even withduplication of 3's and 4's and White's two blots in his innerboard.
Casper van der Tak: 6/5, 6/4.
All safe vs. bold criteria (number of checkers back, standing in the race, anchor, blots in opponent�s home board) cry out for a bold play, and this is the boldest play I could find to get the spare checkers from the 6 point into play. I do not see the alternative!
Kit Woolsey: 6/5, 6/4.
We have to develop that pile of checkers on the six point -- don't eventhink about 10/9, 10/8. As long as we are leaving one shot, we mightas well leave two and get our checkers where they belong. We have ananchor and White has two inner board blots, so if we are hit we won't bein terrible shape and we will have a chance to hit back.
Chris Yep: 6/5, 6/4.
If there ever were a time to double-slot, this must be it! Blue is behind in the race with more men back, yet has an advanced anchor. White has two inner board blots (making 2-1, 6-3, and 6-4 awkward hitting numbers, while other hitting numbers generally only cover one inner board blot). Also, 6/5 6/4 slots the two best points in Blue's board while unstacking the heavy 6 point. Finally other candidate moves leave an awkward position or break an important point. 13/10 and 13/11 6/5 break the midpoint. 10/9 10/8 and 10/8 6/5 break the 10 point. 8/5 strips the 8 point. 6/3 dumps a checker to the 3 point. Overall I think it worth the risk to slot two key points with 6/5 6/4.
Summary: Twenty years ago, every expert would have found the double-slotwithout hesitation. The bots have taught us to be more cautious with ourslotting, but sometimes the wide open approach is best. It was refreshingto see the large majority of the panel recognized that this was the timeto go back to the eighties.
