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BGonline.org Forums
The Jacobs Paradox is far more interesting
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: The Jacobs Paradox is far more interesting (Jake Jacobs)
Date: Sunday, 9 December 2012, at 10:23 p.m.
While most of your stories mention names from the past, long forgotten by most, I am pleased to report that Defotis is back, playing regularly with us on Tuesday nights in both the tournament and the chouette. Of course, he is a wonderful addition to the game not only because he is a fine player, but he is honest and fair and friendly and explains his thinking about checker and cube action extremely well.
Unfortunately (for him, but fortunately for the rest of us) he suffers from something many "old timers" have, which I like to call "blotaphobia." He is one of those who, when you show him that XG says play A is better than his play, will often say things like: "That's why I don't believe in the bots."
Statements like that were common 20 and even 10 years ago, and they were often logical comments when the better players probably were better than the bots in many situations. But today, I think most of us would gladly bet on XG over Greg or just about anyone else in just about any situation.
I recently received an email from and had a nice conversation with Tim Wisecarver, another old-timer we haven't seen for many years. Tim did just buy XG and does not share Greg's phobia for the bots, and I am willing to be that soon Tim will be a far better player than Greg.
By the way, in the early 80's when we played at the Cavendish and North Club with Greg, he was ten times the player I was. Now, I'm not so sure. A lot of the difference, I am sure, is my faith in the bots. (Unless two divorces have simply raised my I.Q.!--To quote advice I often give my students who may not be devoting enough time to their backgammon studies: "I have never let any of my marriages interfere with my backgammon.")
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