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Criss-Cross Count

Posted By: Nack Ballard
Date: Monday, 24 September 2018, at 8:08 p.m.

In Response To: Criss-Cross Count (Tenland)

Colorless counting has been around a long time, and is employed by many pipcount systems. Are you referring to Urquhart's version? If so, I noticed an improvement for Step 1 that I'm not sure I've mentioned to anyone.

Assume the near-side player is Blue and the far-side player is White. For step 1, instead of counting checkers from Black's bear-off tray until you "find the fifteenth checker"...

Cancel (a) Blue's top checkers against (b) White's bottom checkers. This will leave you with a small number of checkers that is either (a) or (b). Starting from the spot between midpoints, if (a) count up, or if (b) count down + 1.

Let's apply that method to the three positions featured by Urquhart (and Simborg):

Position 1: Cancel 4 vs 4, leaves top 2....... Count up 2.......... (= second checker on Black's 13pt).
Position 2: Cancel 4 vs 4, leaves bottom 4. Count down 4+1 (= second checker on Black's 9pt).
Position 3: Cancel 4 vs 4, leaves top 2....... Count up 2.......... (= second checker on 13pt).

[To be clear, "second" (whether used by Urquhart or me) means the second checker on the same point that you reach from whichever direction you are counting.]

For example, take Position 1. You just visually cancel the four upper right Black checkers (18(3) + 24) against the four bottom White checkers. It's lightning fast to see that what remains is two (the two Black midpoint checkers).

Even with that improvement to step 1, with equal practice, I personally find Criss-cross to be overall a bit faster.

Nack

Messages In This Thread

• Criss-Cross Count
  Nack Ballard -- Saturday, 22 September 2018, at 5:19 a.m.
  • Criss-Cross Count
    Tenland -- Monday, 24 September 2018, at 8:35 a.m.
    • Criss-Cross Count
      Nack Ballard -- Monday, 24 September 2018, at 8:08 p.m.
  • Criss-Cross Count -- Explanation and Example
    Nack Ballard -- Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at 1:42 a.m.
    • Criss-Cross Count -- Explanation and Example
      Tenland -- Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at 8:14 p.m.
  • Criss-Cross Count
    Michael -- Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at 10:27 a.m.
    • Criss-Cross Count
      Nack Ballard -- Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at 12:38 p.m.
      • Criss-Cross Count
        Michael -- Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at 7:54 p.m.
      • Criss-Cross Count
        Michael -- Wednesday, 26 September 2018, at 11:35 a.m.
        • Criss-Cross Count
          Nack Ballard -- Wednesday, 26 September 2018, at 8:51 p.m.
          • Criss-Cross Count
            Michael -- Thursday, 27 September 2018, at 12:57 p.m.
  • Criss-Cross Count
    maxim -- Thursday, 27 September 2018, at 11:08 p.m.
    • Criss-Cross Count
      Michael -- Friday, 28 September 2018, at 9:24 a.m.
    • Criss-Cross Count
      Michael -- Friday, 28 September 2018, at 9:38 a.m.
      • Criss-Cross Count
        Michael -- Friday, 28 September 2018, at 10:26 a.m.
  • Can the method be adapted to give an earlier indication?
    Tenland -- Friday, 30 November 2018, at 6:11 p.m.
    • Can the method be adapted to give an earlier indication?
      maxim -- Friday, 30 November 2018, at 8:15 p.m.
      • Can the method be adapted to give an earlier indication?
        Tenland -- Friday, 30 November 2018, at 8:46 p.m.