Chuck Bower: 14/10, 6/5.Safe vs. bold criteria are mixed here. Moving the back checkerfeels too much like running with a significant race deficit.For me, the finalists are 6/2*/1* and 14/10, 6/5. Hitting twogives 16 return shots and with only eight checkers in the zone,blitzing isn't yet a viable option. 14/10, 6/5 leaves but 6returns and better prepares for efficient use of the limitednumber of homeside checkers. Hit one, prime two.
Doug Doub: 13/9, 6/5.
I do not like the double hit. White is not threateningvery much, cutting down on the value of a tempo hit, and we do not have menin place for offense to justify putting one of them out of play on our 1pt.
The best alternative to 13-9,6-5 is the simple 13-8. It unstacks themidpoint while putting a good spare on the 8pt. It also provides doublecoverage of our entire outer board. The cost is four extra shots and lowerbuilding potential for our inner board.
It looks like a very close call to me. Unstacking the midpoint certainly isan improvement, but so is 6-5.
George Klitsas: 14/10, 6/5.
Hitting two, anti-positional as it might seem, and with few ammo in range, is still a serious candidate imo, exactly because it's hitting two! Still, I will go for the constructive 14/10 6/5.
Mary Lee Pinkney: 6/2*, 2/1*.
Since I am behind in the race, and my inner board points are stronger than White's, I think it is best for me to double hit and put both of White's men on the bar with 6 to 2 to 1.
Snowie: 13/8.
If White wants to break his midpoint in order to hit, he is welcome todo so. Leaving the blot on the 14 point is actually much safer than movingit to my outer board, since I can't afford to have White hit an indirectshot with one of his back checkers. The eight point can use somereinforcement, and staying back on the 14 point makes it difficult forWhite to free one of his back checkers.
Marty Storer: 6/2*, 2/1*.
Against White's split back checkers, neither 14/10 6/5nor 13/8 is a standout. I hate 24/20 14/13; Blue has too much work todo in order to escape successfully. The Always Hit directive dictates6/2*/1*. As usual, attacking chances against two on the bar are morethan they may seem at first. And as Barclay Cooke would have said, ifBlue gets hit, it's no tragedy. If Blue throws structure to the winds,at least the tactical upside is very high compared to non-hitting plays.
Bob Stringer: 6/2*, 2/1*.
Our boards are at equal strength, but White's structure isinferior. His stripped midpoint, stripped 8 point and top-heavy 6point reduce his flexibility. I'm also behind in the race, whichinclines me toward an aggressive play. Hitting prevents hisimproving his structure, and if he enters only one checker withouthitting I might get something going despite my limited number ofbuilders.
Casper van der Tak: 13/9, 6/5.
White is ahead in the race, has made a deep point, has 11 checkers in the attack zone, and plays against one checker back. White's indicated game plans are attacking and racing. Blue has the 5-point, and plays against two checkers back while behind in the race; he should try to convert to a priming game. There are some plays we can immediately throw out: 24/20 6/5, 24/20 14/13 and 6/2*/1 all do not address the right themes, exposing Blue to an attack, or trying to attack White.
Second, it is important to recognize that it is difficult to build a prime with a bunch or checker on the midpoint, so we do not want to play 14/13, and we like to peel one of the checkers off the midpoint. Remains 13/8 and 13/9 6/5. Although 13/8 is safer, it does not contribute much to building a prime, so 13/9 6/5 it is. If hit, Blue will either have a lot of returns, or White will have isolated the back checkers, and if not hit, Blue is bound to make some useful point and develop a quick prime.
Kit Woolsey: 14/10, 6/5.
I'm too short on attack material to justify throwing a checker out ofplay with a double-hit. It seems right to simply bring the outfieldchecker out of direct shot range to where it bears on some importantpoints on my side of the board, and unstacking the six point to givemyself even more builders.
Chris Yep: 14/10, 6/5.
Blue stands better in a prime vs. prime game. Not only is his prime more compact (White has the awkward 2 point), but he has (almost) escaped a back man and trails in the race. As a result, Blue has a big timing advantage. 14/10 6/5 brings 2 new builders to bear on the 4 point, fully escapes the back man, and gives White only 6 shots in the outfield. Other approaches are also possible. 24/20 14/13 and 24/20 6/5 both attempt to escape the back man, but are the wrong approach for 2 reasons: (1) Blue trails in the race, so converting the game to a holding game has less priority, (2) 24/20 gives White an opportunity to switch to an attacking game; White is poorly placed for a priming game, but has plenty of checkers for an attacking game. Blue has a big timing advantage so escaping his back man has low priority. Blue can also try 6/2*/1*, but since Blue only has 8 checkers in the attacking zone, I prefer the priming approach (14/10 6/5).
Summary:The panel was on shaky grounds this problem, with theplurality vote going to bringing the outfield checker over and unstackingthe six point. I believe this is the right idea. Blue simply doesn'thave the ammunition to mount an attack.
