| |
BGonline.org Forums
Nactation Question 04 (64S-51H-11)
Posted By: Nack Ballard In Response To: Nactation Question 04 (Mochy)
Date: Tuesday, 29 November 2011, at 4:58 p.m.
Mochy, your grasp of Nactation in the most recent post is superb!
For simplicity, we'll acknowledge that we are discussing the XGR++ eval (&e) of 64S-51H-11 and omit that information from the nacbrac string, leaving just what is inside the brackets.
[E E23 m58 M92] is the way to communicate with an area-letter-only-programmed computer, and some expert nactators would also appreciate this level of precision.
For communication with most humans, your [S F23 $58 L92] is more sensible, and indeed it incorporates the same four choices featured (below #30) in the Nactation tutorial for the very similar 64S-33P-11 position. However, I believe a further improvement is [E F23 $58 L92] or [E F23 758 L92]. The assumptive use of S in #30b is the weakest of the four there.
Before lower-case letters and the hit/most/6 rule had evolved, S was a crude way of handling the 24/22 6/5(2) play. Now, "e" is considered the standard choice. I still use S for that play in file names only because most operating systems overwrite a file with E onto one with e (and vice versa), though I consider it an emergency exception. Even for file-naming purposes, it is safe and preferable to use "e" when E is a vastly inferior play; for example, 41S-11e-32 or other 41S-11e-xx or 41S-11e-xxx-xx is fine because 41S-11E is a terrible play that will never be part of any position I would ever roll out.
In the previous paragraph I referred to 24/22 6/5(2). There is even less justification in using S for bar/23 6/5(2), the best play in Mochy's position. When there is a checker on the bar, another on the 24pt and no other checkers above the midpoint, there is only one legal way to play two aces on the far side. Just use capital E for bar/23 6/5(2) (not that using lower-case "e" for 24/22 6/5(2) is any hardship). When there is a letter that describes the entire play, it is natural to use it, especially when the alternative partially misuses a letter (S really means Split-and-down rather than just Split).
A further strike (which came along later) in using S for bar/23 6/5(2) is that for doublets, S technically means to play three portions on the far side and one to/within the outer board (as Mike pointed out). Granted, all four legal S-plays are reprehensible (in that none make the 5pt), but their very existence is another reason (though arguably minor) to avoid using S assumptively.
For the second best play, bar/24 6/5(3), F (Float) is an excellent choice. The prototype Nactation program might not include F but will eventually. The only way to Float a spare (from one point to another) is either 8/6, or 6/5 after making the 5pt, and the latter way earns the capital by virtue of making an extra point. That is, while I consider it a "style" letter, F is fine in the 64S-51H-11 position even without assumption (and for most people easier to grasp than the underlined E).
For the third best play, bar/24 8/7 6/5(2), $ is a judicious use of assumption (the 5pt is assumed, and the 7pt is slotted). Technically, $ should include a separate down component when possible: hence $ = bar/24 8/7(2) 6/5. Granted, that's such an awful play that I can endorse $ for bar/24 8/7 6/5(2), though I would likely choose "7" for the latter. "7" means that a checker is played to the 7pt and then the hit/most/6 rule applies -- that fits the requisite criteria without using assumption.
For the fourth best play, L (Lift) is technically sound just as is F. The bar/24 portion is forced, 9/8 Lifts (thereby satisfying the underlying definition of the letter chosen), and 6/5(2) then satisfies the hit/most/6 rule. For those well versed in Nactation, the areal choice of M is also easy to understand (it won't be confused with m, which moves an outer board blot closer to the 6pt as in the play discussed in the previous paragraph).
The discussion of choices might bewilder people not practiced in Nactation, but choices actually make it easier. You only need to know one!
Nack
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.