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BQ: funky backgame play

Posted By: Timothy Chow
Date: Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 5:40 p.m.

In Response To: BQ: funky backgame play (leobueno)

This is not an obvious play for me, but here are some of the relevant considerations. Timing is the biggest issue in backgames. Ideally, what you would like is for White's forward position to crunch. That's why you want to have a prime, to force White to use his pips moving his other checkers forwards while his back checkers are bottled up.

However, in this position, White's timing is pretty good. After 16/7, you're going to have to start dismantling your prime soon, while White has many spare pips to play comfortably. White may even jump a checker out with a 6, giving her even more timing. Therefore, you could try 16/11 8/4, volunteering an early blot. The idea is that if White jumps out with a 5, hitting, your timing will improve. Hopefully, your checker will amble around the board slowly while White's position crunches.

There is of course a risk associated with the early-blot play. Your rear checkers could get primed, forcing your own prime to collapse while you still have one or two checkers back. Or White could attack you and manage to extricate her back checkers while you're dancing, and win going forwards.

Gauging the risks of the differing strategies is a difficult business and I don't know what the right play is here. But this is the rationale behind 16/11 8/4, assuming that's the "funky" play that GNU 4-ply likes.

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