Tim wrote: What I still don't really understand is why 9/3 6/3 is so much worse than 18/9. The key to comparing these two plays is to view the position as one where Blue wants to contain White, rather than attack him. The maxim, “Prime a point; attack a blot,” seems not to apply. After Blue plays this 63, White will be on roll, up 8 pips. If he can jump into the outfield unopposed, he becomes the favorite. When Blue plays either 18/9 or 9/3 6/3, White will have that opportunity. After 18/9, White’s escape numbers are 35 and 36. After 9/3 6/3, White can escape with 34 as well. If he cannot escape, White can at least move up to the “launching pad” on Blue’s 5pt when he rolls a 3. From there, he can subsequently jump out with 27 rolls when Blue’s 10pt is open, but only 20 numbers when Blue holds onto the 10pt. I believe it was Danny Kleinman who first examined the comparitive blocking power of broken six-point primes. (Higonefive will have the citation.) The closer the gap is to the front of the block, the stronger the block becomes. Mike | ||||||||||||
