| Annotated Match |
|
Game 12
(Score is tied 10–10. Match to 11.) |
| Kit Woolsey (Black) | Kazuhiro Shino (White) |
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| White to play 6-2. |
| 1. | 6-2: 24/18, 13/11 |
For understanding this particular game, it is important to know that the match was played using chess clocks. This had been an unusually long match. Black had played quickly thoughout the match and had around 25 minutes left on his clock, so he was under no time pressure at all. White, on the other hand, had played at an average pace, and as a result had a little more than four minutes left on his clock. For most games having four minutes on the clock would be more than sufficient if one plays quickly. However if the game gets complex, four minutes might not be enough regardless of how fast one playes, since it always takes a few seconds to pick up the dice, shake them, roll them, make a legal move, and punch the clock. According the the rules of the tournament, if a player runs out of time his opponent is awarded two points. Thus, if White failed to complete the game with his four minutes, Black would win the match.
Under these circumstances, the play is likely to be rather sloppy. White will be looking to find any legal move and play it quickly rather than study the position and find the best move. Black will also play quickly if he can do so accurately, since he doesn't want to give White time to assess the overall position.
In addition, the strategies of the players will change because of the clock. Black will want a very complex game with both sides having a lot of checkers back, since this kind of game can go on for many moves. White, on the other hand, will prefer a simple game with little hitting, so the game finishes quickly.
| 2. | 6-3: 24/21, 13/7* |
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| White to play 5-1. |
| 2. | . . . | 5-1: bar/24, 6/1* |
I don't care much for the loose hit here. Black's threats aren't all that great, and taking a checker out of play could be costly. In addition, the clock situation argues strongly against this play. White should be aiming for simple games, not complex games. Either of the other plays looks better to me — at the match score, probably bar/20, 24/23 would be my choice. The cost of being blitzed isn't as great at double matchpoint as it is when gammons matter.
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| Black to play 4-1. |
| 3. | 4-1: bar/24*, 13/9 |
Bar/21 8/7 is a very pretty play. It makes two valuable points, and leaves Black with a rock solid position. Bar/24*, 13/9 is a very loose play which leaves a lot of return shots and throws the game wide open. Bar/21, 8/7 is surely the superior play.
The clock situation may change all that. Every checker that Black sends back will tend to lengthen the game, particularly a game which White would win if played to completion. That is 24 pips more that White has to traverse, and it will take him several extra rolls to do so. In the meantime Black may be hitting more blots and complicating the issue still further. Is it worthwhile for Black to make a positionally inferior move in order to increase his chances of winning with the clock? This is not a normal backgammon question, and players aren't used to having to face such problems. As clocks become more popular in high-level backgammon tournaments, this sort of problem will arise more often. My guess is that, taking the clock into account, bar/24*, 13/9 is probably the right play under the circumstances.
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| White to play 5-5. |
| 3. | . . . | 5-5: bar/21, 8/3(2), 6/1* |
Under the pressure of having to move quickly due to time pressure, White makes an illegal move! Black is quite correct to accept. Not only is the move illegal, but it is inferior. White is leaving a bunch of blots strewn around unnecessarily. His approach is the pure play, but this position does not call for purity. I think the best play is simply bar/20, 11/1*, 6/1. Making the ace point isn't as pretty as making the three point, but cutting down on return shots is very important. White's play is a doubly serious error due to the time considerations. The last thing he wants is to have more checkers sent back.
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| Black to play 6-2. |
| 4. | 6-2: bar/17* |
Hit, hit, and keep on hitting in the early stages. Even though Black leaves several return shots and blots, the hit is correct. It removes a key builder, and by putting White on the bar that takes away half of White's roll. With the clock in play, hitting is even more correct for Black. Every checker he sends back will lengthen the game even more. Black's plan of winning the match on time is starting to look like a reality.
| 4. | . . . | 6-5: bar/20, 24/18* |
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| Black to play 4-2. |
| 5. | 4-2: bar/21, 9/7* |
The nine point is a very big point in this sort of position. However bar/21, 9/7* does two good things — it makes the anchor and it puts White on the bar. Even though the anchor isn't particularly important here, I believe that bar/21, 9/7* is better. With the clock in mind, bar/21, 9/7* is certainly better. White is sent back seven pips, and Black removes the danger of being blitzed. If Black is hit back he will have another checker back to hunt the White checkers and keep the blot-hitting going. This is what Black is after.
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| White to play 5-3. |
| 5. | . . . | 5-3: bar/20, 21/18* |
Hitting Black's lead checker is certainly the superior play. With the clock considerations, this might not be correct as it gives Black more return shots. However this is a very difficult thing for White to work out. Not only is this totally unfamiliar territory, but White has to rush to make his plays anyway due to the time pressure.
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| Black to play 5-1. |
| 6. | 5-1: bar/24*, 6/1* |
The double-hit is probably the correct play under normal circumstances, since it gains a lot in the race and keeps White off-balance. Add in the clock factor, and it is definitely correct. Black minds being hit back less than normal, since that will just complicate the position and give him another back checker to hunt down White men. Also, Black wants to pick off the other White blots and send White back even farther. The game is getting longer and longer, which is what Black is after.
| 6. | . . . | 6-5: bar/20 |
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| Black to play 4-1. |
| 7. | 4-1: 24/20, 8/7* |
The theoretically best play is almost certainly 6/1. This is not the sort of position where you mind making the ace point, with both sides having an advanced anchor. Making the ace point is better than leaving the blot dangling to be hit at the wrong time.
With the clock in play, however, Black is definitely correct to hit the second blot. He doesn't at all mind having his checker on the ace point sent back, since that will give him additional ammunition for further blot-hitting to lengthen the game. Also, moving the back checker up to the 20 point increases Black's chances of picking up White's other blot. If Black hits that blot, White will have so many men back that the game will almost certainly be a long one.
| 7. | . . . | 6-2: bar/23 |
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| Black to play 6-1. |
| 8. | 6-1: 20/14*, 8/7 |
The best theoretical play is probably 8/2*, 2/1. This prevents White from anchoring on the two point, and with two White checkers on the bar Black will be a favorite to pick up the other blot anyway. The rock solid 21/20, 7/1 is also quite reasonable.
With White's clock ticking on every move, Black is having none of this. He wants to be 100% certain of picking up the other blot. He doesn't mind if White hits him back on the ace point, and he doesn't mind if White anchors on the two point. Black simply wants to send a bunch of men back and flood the outfield, making it impossible for White to bring his back men out without getting hit. The game is going exactly along the lines Black was looking for when he made his anti-theoretical play on his second move. It is now going to be very difficult for White to complete this game in four minutes regardless of how fast White plays.
| 8. | . . . | 4-2: bar/23, bar/21 |
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| Black to play 5-2. |
| 9. | 5-2: 13/8, 6/4* |
The quiet 17/15, 13/8 may be theoretically best, but that doesn't matter now. Black keeps hitting. He won't mind having that checker recirculated. The clock continues to tick.
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| White to play 4-3. |
| 9. | . . . | 4-3: bar/21*, 13/10 |
White's play of bar/21*, 13/10 is probably theoretically correct. He holds the anchor on the two point and keeps all of his options open.
With the clock in play, however, his play is a serious error. He doesn't want to play a game with a deep anchor, and he can't afford to have another checker sent back. His only hope to complete the game on time is to switch into a holding game, stop all this blot-hitting, and hope to get lucky and run everybody home. He should have played bar/21*, 23/20. Needless to say this is very difficult to work out, particularly since White is under time pressure and is simply trying to find a decent move as fast as he can. Due to the time situation, Black has the additional advantage of being able to take the time to plan the best strategy for keeping the game going as long as possible. White doesn't have the leisure to think at all.
| 10. | 1-1: bar/24, 17/15*/14 |
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| White to play 2-1. |
| 10. | . . . | 2-1: bar/22 |
In theory, White should be hitting Black's checker on the ace point. This takes away half of Black's roll, gains in the race, and makes a second more advanced anchor in Black's board.
In practice, with White trying to avoid lengthening the game, it is not at all clear what is best. Sending the checker on the ace point back will give Black more ammunition with which to do some more blot-hitting. However making Black's four point prevents Black from slashing loose there. White does not want to be playing a deep anchor game, since that game will take him longer to win. For this reason, I believe White should have played bar/24*, 23/21.
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| Black to play 5-3. |
| 11. | 5-3: 24/16 |
Regardless of what is theoretically correct, this looks like the right play under the circumstances. Black's goal is to prevent White from getting out into the outfield, and the checker on the 16 point gives Black more outfield coverage. If Black can keep battering White back every time White steps out, Black will win the match on time. It should be noted that Black has succeeded in hitting a blot on each of his first nine plays. He has definitely achieved his goal. This game will go on for a long time.
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| White to play 5-3. |
| 11. | . . . | 5-3: 21/13 |
Correct both in theory and in practice. White struggles to get one back checker out safely. He has a long way to go.
| 12. | 6-6: 21/9(2) |
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| White to play 5-2. |
| 12. | . . . | 5-2: 13/8, 6/4 |
White's play may be the best theoretical play, since it starts a new inner board point with good development. Under the clock circumstances, however, I don't believe it is best. White simply has to start getting his men out and hope to hit a shot and scramble home for the win. This means getting that checker on the 22 point up to 20 point where it can spring out into the outfield with a big number. I think White should have played 22/20, 13/8.
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| Black to play 5-1. |
| 13. | 5-1: 16/10 |
Slotting the edge of the prime might be best anyway, but under the circumstances it is certainly correct. If White does spring a back checker, Black will be perfectly happy to be hit so he can go back and hunt more blots.
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| White to play 6-1. |
| 13. | . . . | 6-1: 22/15* |
Obviously 22/15* is the correct play in theory. In practice, however, White might have been better off just springing a back checker with 20/13 and letting Black play. White's fastest route toward winning this game quickly is to build a board, hit a shot, and contain the hit checker. White will have decent chances to hit that shot with his two back anchors. By sending Black back White risks getting hit in return. This wouldn't be very serious under normal conditions since White already has so many men back, but here with White's time running out getting another checker sent back is the end of the world. I'm pretty sure White's best chance to win the game within the time limits was to play 20/13. Of course working this out at the table under time pressure is next to impossible. White simply made the natural reflex move he knew was right.
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| Black to play 4-2. |
| 14. | 4-2: bar/21*, 6/4 |
Correct or not, Black is definitely going to hit that checker on the four point. That sends White farther back, which is the main game plan. Since Black doesn't mind being hit back, he holds his outfield points and drops a checker to the four point. The blot-hitting continues. Black is well on his way to winning the match on time.
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| White to play 6-2. |
| 14. | . . . | 6-2: bar/23, 8/2 |
Going to the two point is very ugly. White needs to fill in his four and five points, and he has few enough checkers with which to work. I'm pretty sure he should have played bar/23, 15/9 and just hoped that Black missed the double-shot.
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| Black to play 3-2. |
| 15. | 3-2: 13/10*/8 |
Right or wrong, Black of course hits. Covering the blot on the four point isn't so important. Sending every checker back that pokes its nose into the outfield has a much higher priority due to the time considerations. In addition, Black is now playing very quickly also in order to not give White a chance to think too much about the overall position. Black doesn't have to be accurate — he just has to keep hitting.
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| White to play 5-2. |
| 15. | . . . | 5-2: bar/23, 13/8 |
White is now scrambling to just find a legal play as fast as he can. Obviously he should play bar/20, 23/21*, getting ready to escape some of his back checkers. He rushing in panic mode.
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| Black to play 2-1. |
| 16. | 2-1: 21/20, 8/6 |
Black naturally leaves the checker on the four point. He wants to be hit there if White rolls a two so he can go back and do more hunting.
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| White to play 3-1. |
| 16. | . . . | 3-1: 23/20, 13/12* |
White is releasing his midpoint without having anything to show for it. Now Black is free to scoop up all of White's blots. The best theoretical play may well be 23/22, 8/5*, holding the midpoint and getting some diversification in Black's inner board. However I think White should have blasted away with 13/12*, 8/5* and hoped to get lucky. If White loses outfield control, he will have almost no chance to salvage the game within the time constraints.
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| Black to play 5-5. |
| 17. | 5-5: bar/15, 20/15, 14/9 |
Black is playing quickly also. He is working on outfield control, but his play allows White to move too freely. He should have held the 20 point and played something like bar/20, 14/9, 14/4.
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| White to play 4-2. |
| 17. | . . . | 4-2: 13/11*/7 |
White is scrambling to find any legal play now, with the clock mercilessly ticking away. Obviously both 23/21*, 12/8 and 13/11*, 12/8 are considerably superior to the actual play. White knows this, but under the time pressure he is simply playing the first legal move he sees.
| 18. | 6-1: bar/18* |
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| White to play 5-3. |
| 18. | . . . | 5-3: bar/22, 20/15 |
White's play may be right in theory, but under the circumstances it is suicidal to leave Black a free hand to hit what he wants. White is running out of time, and has to do something quickly. His best chance is to play bar/22, 12/7* and hope that Black flunks. If White can keep Black on the bar, he might have a chance to scramble his men out. The one thing he cannot afford is more exchanges of blot-hitting.
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| Black to play 4-2. |
| 19. | 4-2: 18/14, 15/13* |
Black is not concerned about covering the blot on his four point, nor is he worried about leaving a bunch of blots. He just wants to make it as difficult as possible for White to extricate all those back checkers.
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| White to play 6-1. |
| 19. | . . . | 6-1: bar/24*, 15/9 |
Under the time pressure, White makes a huge error. Obviously he should play bar/24*, 8/2. This great roll actually gives him a chance to get moving quickly if Black flunks on the three point board. If things went well, White could scoop up a bunch of blots and scramble his men out while Black is stuck on the bar. White would be able to make all of his plays quickly, and he wouldn't have to be worried about being hit back. However White was rushing to make a legal play, and he simply didn't see covering the blot on the two point. This was about his last chance to prevent the exchange of blot-hitting. Now the game will go on forever, and White will surely lose on time.
| 20. | 6-1: bar/18 |
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| White to play 6-4. |
| 20. | . . . | 6-4: 20/14, 9/5 |
Once again, White's only hope is to hit and pray for a miracle. Leaving the blot for Black to hit freely is sure to cost him the game on a time forfeit.
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| Black to play 3-2. |
| 21. | 3-2: 14/11*, 13/11 |
Making the four point is surely the right theoretical play, but Black isn't concerned with that. His whole goal is to keep White penned in behind the blockade and to continue the exchange of blot-hitting.
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| White to play 5-4. |
| 21. | . . . | 5-4: bar/20, 24/20 |
Bar/20, 8/4 is probably better, although it isn't likely to matter much now.
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| Black to play 4-4. |
| 22. | 4-4: 18/10, 15/7 |
Black is just shoving checkers around now. White's clock will soon be falling, and White has made no progress at all toward ending the game. Most of all Black does not want to let White escape a back checker without being forced to hit something.
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| White to play 2-1. |
| 22. | . . . | 2-1: 23/21*, 22/21 |
White would be better off letting things alone and playing 23/22, 8/6. He needs to force Black to break the blockade so White can get some back men out and build up his board. The hit only allows Black to keep his blockade longer and maybe send some more White checkers back.
| 23. | 6-1: bar/18 | 6-3: 21/15*, 8/5 |
| 24. | 6-2: bar/23*/17 | 4-3: bar/21, 15/12 |
| 25. | 4-3: 18/15, 17/13* |
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| White to play 4-1. |
At this point the flag on White's clock fell, which meant that Black won the match on a time forfeit. White had used the four minutes on his clock that he started with and had made no progress at all towards winning the game. It is quite likely that for White to win from here it would have taken him another four minutes to do everything which would have to be done, since White has 221 pips left to go as opposed to the 167 from the opening position. Black's overall plan of complicating the position and forcing White into time trouble was successful.
| 25. | . . . | 4-1: bar/20 |
| Single game |
Kit Woolsey wins the match, 11 to 10.