BGonline.org Forums

"Dead Cube"

Posted By: Michael Petch
Date: Tuesday, 5 November 2013, at 1:16 a.m.

I have decided to create a new thread to deal with the more fundamental issue (in my mind) that seems to underlie the questions involving the "dead cube"

Why is it that the ABT uses a definition of "Dead Cube" that is quite different in meaning from that of BG online bible that defines "Dead Cube" this way:

http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?dead+cube

"Dead Cube A doubling cube with no further doubling value. In match play, the cube is said to be dead when the player owning the cube has no reason to double. For example, a player who owns a 2-cube when he is two points (4) away from winning the match will never double because he can win the match with the cube at its current level."

It also seems that many bots enforce that meaning as well. I am curious why there is a difference. Even before I knew about the ABT, when I was younger I was taught that dead cube has the meaning that was pretty much as BKGM has presented it.

I also gather those who keep asking the same question about the dead cube and whether it is legal in certain situations arises out of the fact that the ABT/USBG rule is distinctly different than that of other definitions.

So which is right? And why? If people agree they aren't the same then is there a reason why we are using different definitions? Or do people see that the ABT rule and the BKGM one (for example) are actually the same thing? Or is BKGM wrong (and every other publication that has similar definition)?