The Dilly Builders vs. The Prime Factors
Click any move to see the position.Game 1 9-away, 9-away Dilly Builders: 51S-54S-42P-61P-33A-F-C-P
Game 2 8-away, 9-away Prime Factors: 52S-64H-62U-41P-21$-41U-F-N-42P-52C-C-T-41P-31P-31H-32H-F-22N-51S-X-11n-31H-52U-F-R-P
Game 3 8-away, 7-away Prime Factors: 64S-61P-52U-51H-44P-41A-42H-51S-N-55M-64H-N-F-N-43H-F-C-P
Game 4 7-away, 7-away Dilly Builders: 63S-42H-41S-61$-41H-54@-55A-F-N-32C-F-32D-55H-42E-32O-61H-43U-63O-53E-65S-21K-63H-N-52U-54R-N-42X
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| XGID=---a-BCBBaA--A---dAcCd--b-:0:0:1:42:2:2:0:9:10 | |||||
| Blue to play 42 | |||||
42X (Hit and split) = 20/18, 13/9*
Bob mentioned a reason for playing 9/7 I had not considered before. There may a cube upcoming, so we may wish to reduce volatility as it approaches. After leaving a slot at the back of the prime, the Dillies will be under pressure to hit back or anchor. Otherwise, we may be cashing. (Almost certainly, we will be cubing.) Does that make it overkill to slot? I decided it does not.
Thanks to all.
A note about Nactation: In the X (Hit and split) family, half the roll is used to make a hit in one of the near-side quadrants, and the other half is used to move a checker on the far side. Nactation uses the word “split” just to have a consise name. The action, however, simply describes moving a checker on the far side. That might include making a point (as it does here), or advancing a lone checker. Of course, it can also describe splitting off an anchor.
Mike