Match Play

Forum Archive : Match Play

 
Crawford rule

From:   Chuck Bower
Address:   bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
Date:   11 May 1998
Subject:   Re: FIBS bug? - doubling in the Crawford game
Forum:   rec.games.backgammon
Google:   6j7uv0$pgo$1@jetsam.uits.indiana.edu

Patti Beadles <pattib@netcom.com> wrote:
> I have heard two different interpretations of the Crawford rule, both
> of which I've seen implemented at various tournaments, neither of
> which is necessarily the One True Crawford Rule.
>
> The first is that the cube is dead during the Crawford game.
>
> The second is that the trailer may not double during the Crawford
> game.
>
> As you have noticed, FIBS implements the second.  If the leader
> accidentally doubles, though, the trailer is not allowed to redouble.
> So no, it's not a bug.  And it's definitely not (as someone suggested)
> a timing problem.

      There is a set of rules (which can be found on the Chicago Point
web page) titled "U.S. Backgammon Tournament Rules & Procedures, March
1990".  Rule 5.5 says:

    CRAWFORD RULE.  The 'Crawford Rule' will apply to all matches.
    When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9 point match),
    the doubling cube will be out of play for one game....

I don't believe I've played in a tournament this decade where these
rules were not used.  Unfortunately I've not gotten to nearly enough
tournaments, and only one West of the Mississippi in that time period.
Thus maybe there are tournaments on this continent where these rules
are not used.  I'm wondering what set of rules they use, though.  Europe
(and other places) may well use different rules.  Ditto the above wonder.

     I think this U.S BG rule clearly supports Patti's first listing of
interpretation.  FIBS was written by a European (Andreas Schneider if
my poor memory isn't failing me) so maybe he was using a different set
of rules.

     I can give another argument (though primarily historical).  From
"The Backgammon Book" by Oswald Jacoby and John R. Crawford (Viking
Press, 1970):

  At the Bahamas and Las Vegas tournaments (the early World Championships
  before being permanently moved to Monte Carlo in the late 70's)... John
  Crawford (co-author)... devised a rule providing that once a player gets
  within one point of victory, there can be no double in the first game
  after that; however, doubling would be allowed in the match from then on.

Note that the comments in parentheses in the above quote are mine.

     There is soon to be convened a committee to review (and modify,
if determined necessary) the 1990 U.S. BG Rules.  Butch Meese has
already asked for (and posted the resulting) recommendations for changes.
Although Butch has now passed on this info (and is no longer involved
in the review) I think (hope) that it is not too late to make further
suggestions.  I'm certainly going to try to get an audience myself.

   Chuck
   bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
   c_ray on FIBS
 
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Match Play

1-away/1-away: advice from Bernhard Kaiser  (Darse Billings, July 1995)  [Long message] [Recommended reading]
1-away/1-away: advice from Stick  (Stick+, Mar 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
1-away/1-away: and similar scores  (Lou Poppler, Aug 1995) 
2-away/3-away: playing for gammon  (Tom Keith, Feb 1996) 
2-away/4-away: Neil's rule of 80  (Neil Kazaross, June 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
2-away/4-away: cube strategy  (Tom Keith, Dec 1996) 
2-away/4-away: practical issues  (Mark Damish, Jan 1996) 
2-away/4-away: trailer's initial double  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1996) 
3-away/4-away: opponent's recube  (William C. Bitting+, Feb 1997)  [Long message]
3-away/4-away: racing cube  (Bill Calton+, Nov 2012) 
3-away/4-away: tricky cube decision  (Kit Woolsey+, July 1994) 
3-away/4-away: what's the correct equity?  (Tom Keith, Sept 1997) 
4-away/4-away: take/drop point  (Gary Wong, Oct 1997) 
5-away/11-away: redouble to 8  (Gavin Anderson, Oct 1998) 
7-away/11-away: volatile recube decision  (Kit Woolsey, May 1997) 
Both too good and not good enough to double  (Paul Epstein+, Sept 2007) 
Comparing 2-away/3-away and 2-away/4-away  (Douglas Zare, Mar 2002) 
Crawford rule  (Chuck Bower, May 1998) 
Crawford rule  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1997) 
Crawford rule--Why just one game?  (Walter Trice, Jan 2000) 
Crawford rule--history  (Michael Strato, Jan 2001) 
Delayed mandatory double  (tem_sat+, Oct 2010) 
Delayed mandatory double  (Donald Kahn+, Dec 1997)  [Recommended reading]
Doubling when facing a gammon loss  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1999) 
Doubling when opponent is 2-away  (David Montgomery, Dec 1997) 
Doubling when you're an underdog  (Stein Kulseth, Dec 1997) 
Doubling window with gammons  (Jason Lee+, Jan 2009) 
Free drop  (Ian Shaw, May 1999) 
Free drop  (Willis Elias+, Oct 1994) 
Gammonless takepoint formula  (Adam Stocks, June 2002) 
Going for gammon when opp has free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Jan 1998) 
Going for gammon when opp has free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1995) 
Holland rule  (Neil Kazaross, Apr 2010) 
Holland rule  (Kit Woolsey, Dec 1994) 
Leading 2-away with good gammon chances  (Douglas Zare, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Match play 101  (Max Urban+, Oct 2009) 
Matches to a set number of games  (Tom Keith+, Oct 1998) 
Playing when opponent has free drop  (Gilles Baudrillard+, Dec 1996) 
Post-crawford doubling  (Scott Steiner+, Feb 2004) 
Post-crawford doubling  (Maik Stiebler+, Dec 2002) 
Post-crawford doubling  (Gus+, Sept 2002) 
Post-crawford mistakes  (Rob Adams, Sept 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Post-crawford/2-away: too good to double  (Robert-Jan Veldhuizen, July 2004) 
Slotting when opponent has free drop  (onur alan+, Apr 2013) 
Take points  (fiore+, Feb 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Tips to improve cube handling  (Lucky Jim+, Jan 2010) 
When to free drop  (Dan Pelton+, Oct 2006) 
When to free drop  (Tom Keith+, July 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
When to free drop  (Gregg Cattanach, Dec 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
When to free drop  (Kit Woolsey, Feb 1998) 
When to free drop  (Chuck Bower, Jan 1998) 
Which format most favors the favorite?  (Daniel Murphy+, Jan 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]

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