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Do intermediate players make conservative plays?

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Thursday, 15 September 2016, at 12:06 p.m.

In Response To: Do intermediate players make conservative plays? (Timothy Chow)

In order to properly address this question, one must first define what constitutes an "intermediate" player. By our major tournament standards, I would take that to mean someone who generally plays between 8-13 PR. Much better than 8 would probably qualify for a low open player, and much worse than 13, while not unusual to see in intermediate tournaments, as an average, is really not a tournament intermediate player but closer to the beginner level.

Next, of course, one can not generalize without saying that there will be many exception. Of course there are some intermediates that consistently play too safe and some that play too bold.

I believe it is safe to say that as a teacher of literally hundreds of intermediate players over the last 20 years, I do have somewhat of an opinion based on real experience. I have absolutely seen a pattern in the types of mistakes that intermediates make.

In certain types of positions, you can almost always count on intermediates to be too cautious (first and second roll moves is a good example, and often, when blitzing, they play too conservatively and don't create enough builders for fear of leaving too many blots, and often in bearing off they tend to play to cautiously), and in other types of situations they will tend not to play as cautious as they should (when the game is lost and they need to protect from being gammoned, or going for the gammon when it is not worth it, or leaving too many blots around the board when they should tighten up, or hitting loose at the wrong time.)

You must take Ed's comment in context. He was referring to the specific play I showed as an example of a play that is very bold, intentionally slotting in front of two split checkers where the odds of being hit are very high. Few intermediate players who even consider a play like this, and Ed (and I) contend that most open players would not even make that play.

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