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Terminology

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Wednesday, 28 April 2010, at 8:59 p.m.

In Response To: Terminology (Henrik Bukkjaer)

I'm inclined to think of a move as a checker-play, just as referred to in the rules, EXCEPT for when talking about a noted match where I'd always put the move number for each line (of two moves).

I agree, except I assume your caveat is not limited only to a match or game but rather to any partial game or sequence of plays that are numbered in pairs. An example from chess is a problem where "White to mate in four moves" includes Black's plays in the sequence, and it's not even part of a game sequence.

Turn: The period of time in which a player can make or change his decision about a cube-action or a checker-play. IE. in a clocked match, the definition of a turn is straight forward: Your turn starts when your clock starts running, your turn concludes when you hit your plunger (stopping your clock).

I'm inclined to agree with this one-play definition -- it's the one I've heard most often. However, I sometimes see a two-play definition employed, for example here and (it seems implied) here, which may also be correct usage.

A typical notation of a game in a match could read something like this:

Match to 17 White: Nack Ballard (5 points) Black: Henrik Bukkjaer (11 points) 1: --: --- --- ... 31: 8/5 6/5 2: 53: 8/3 6/3 ... 66: 24/18(2) 13/7(2) 3: 52: 13/8 24/22 ... Double 4: Take ... 55: 8/3(2)* 6/1(2)* 5: ???

By "typical," I guess you are referring to a situation in which Nack is trailing and about to be backgammoned for the match. :)

Q1: What move is Nack about to play now? His 3rd, 4th or 5th move?

I would say that Nack is about to play "the" fifth move, because that is consistent with the numbering of the moves (though I wouldn't argue if someone said that Nack is about to complete the fourth move). I think you could make a reasonable case for saying "his" third, fourth or fifth move this early in the game. No doubt I am about to fan, but I still call that a move :)

Q2: How many moves have been played so far in the game?

If I'm presented with that manuscript -- properly formatted :), I'd say that four moves have been completed. If, however, there is no manuscript and a bunch of people are gathered around a board cheerfully gabbing about what happened to poor Nack, it's going to come down to how individuals prefer to define "move."

Q3: How many rolls have been played?

I count five (though I can imagine some might opine seven.)

Q4: How many turns have Nack played?

I would say three (counting my cube-take as a turn). Btw, I appreciate you referring to me in the plural; clearly I'll need help in this predicament.

The alert reader would notice, that the above sequence could also be noted as: Match to 17 Black: Henrik Bukkjaer (11 points) White: Nack Ballard (5 points) 1: 31: 8/5 6/5 ... 53: 8/3 6/3 2: 66: 24/18(2) 13/7(2) ... 52: 13/8 24/22 3: Double ... Take 4: 55: 8/3(2)* 6/1(2)* ... ???

Would that change your answers to the questions above?

Yes, again assuming you refer to a manuscript (otherwise, two sets of questions would seem meaningless). For this one... Q1: I'd say Nack is about to play "the" fourth move, and it's a matter of interpretation whether he is playing "his" third or fourth move. Q2: Three moves have been played so far, with Nack about to complete (the second half of) the fourth move. Q3: Still five rolls. Q4: Still three turns.

When noting a match, would you swap players from game to game, in order to always have the opening roll in the first column?

I haven't, though it certainly can be done that way. In chess matches, they do swap from game to game, with the first player always on the left, whereas in backgammon the players retain the same color pieces, providing more incentive to keep the same players on the left and right for the duration of the match.

Would anyone choose not to number the cube-actions?

I number each cube action as a turn or half-move, but not as a roll, in case it isn't clear from my notes.

Nack

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