Newsletter for 8 March 2005

Tournament News

On Tuesday, 8 March 2004, the Backgammon Club of San Diego met. 11 players entered a 16-player main tournament, with the following results:

Main Tournament (16 player bracket)

1st place:  Tom Fahland
2nd place:  Bruce Discher
3rd place:  Steve Blake and Dennis Frieden

Current Master Points Standings

Steve Blake       32
Henry Chaboki     29
Tom Fahland       26
Adrian Costa      23
Jason Lee         21
Bruce Haight      15
Fred Kamgar       14
Sheldon Woytek    12
Bruce Discher      9
Eric Sedehi        9
Osman Guner        6
Cyrus Mobedshahi   4
Bill Devine        3
Jon Vietor         2
Mark Weiner        2
Dennis Frieden     1

The point leader at the end of the year will be named the BCSD Player of the Year, and the top 16 in the Master Point standings will be invited to the 2005 BCSD Tournament of Champions, to be held in early 2006.

Problem of the Week

+-24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+-18-17-16-15-14-13-+

+--1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+--7--8--9-10-11-12-+

White leads 6-1 (crawford) in a match to 7. Pip counts: White 176, Black 110

Last Week's Problem of the Week

Money game. Pip counts: White 111, Black 97

No matter what Black does, he will have the three blots strewn about, which White will be able to hammer away at mercilessly. There is only one way to regain the upper hand, and that's with a tempo move. B/23 4/3* does just that. Look at the advantages:

Black still retains a four point board, which is stronger than White's board.
Not only is Black's board stronger, but White has buried a checker, so he will be less capable than usual to put together an attack.
After the unusual infield shifting attack, Black has 1's, 2's, 3's and 6's to cover, and 2's and 5's to hit in the outfield. The only nonconstructive number for Black are 5's.
Without hitting, White had 2's, 4's, 6's to hit in the outfield, and many point making numbers as well. After the hit, White needs a 3 or a 4 to enter -- the move cuts down on White's good numbers.

GNU likes the play too, and thinks that it's correct by a very wide margin.

# Ply Move Equity

1 4 bar/23 4/3* +0.150

0.558 0.400 0.022 - 0.442 0.260 0.025

2 4 bar/23 5/4 -0.052 ( -0.202)

0.505 0.243 0.011 - 0.495 0.148 0.004

3 4 bar/23 9/8 -0.080 ( -0.230)

0.496 0.242 0.015 - 0.504 0.144 0.004

4 4 bar/23 16/15 -0.138 ( -0.287)

0.480 0.237 0.011 - 0.520 0.163 0.005

5 4 bar/22 -0.165 ( -0.314)

0.474 0.231 0.014 - 0.526 0.189 0.007

6 4 bar/23 6/5 -0.165 ( -0.315)

0.477 0.211 0.009 - 0.523 0.163 0.005

7 4 bar/23 2/1 -0.497 ( -0.647)

0.393 0.159 0.008 - 0.607 0.253 0.011

Ply	Move	Equity
1	4	bar/23 4/3*	+0.150
0.558 0.400 0.022 - 0.442 0.260 0.025
2	4	bar/23 5/4	-0.052 ( -0.202)
0.505 0.243 0.011 - 0.495 0.148 0.004
3	4	bar/23 9/8	-0.080 ( -0.230)
0.496 0.242 0.015 - 0.504 0.144 0.004
4	4	bar/23 16/15	-0.138 ( -0.287)
0.480 0.237 0.011 - 0.520 0.163 0.005
5	4	bar/22	-0.165 ( -0.314)
0.474 0.231 0.014 - 0.526 0.189 0.007
6	4	bar/23 6/5	-0.165 ( -0.315)
0.477 0.211 0.009 - 0.523 0.163 0.005
7	4	bar/23 2/1	-0.497 ( -0.647)
0.393 0.159 0.008 - 0.607 0.253 0.011

See you next week! Keep tossing those cubes,
J. Lee