Strategy--Checker play

Forum Archive : Strategy--Checker play

 
When to run the last checker

From:   Stick Rice
Address:   checkmugged@yahoo.com
Date:   26 January 2009
Subject:   When to run the last checker
Forum:   BGonline.org Forums

Since nobody ever answered Tad Bright's post asking for criteria on when to
run the last checker I thought I'd play a few games forcing the "should I
run the last checker" issue to come up. These are by no means the best
examples out there, I just played a money game session and copied and
pasted them as they came up. I also won't be rolling any of these out so if
you're unsure of one or another roll it yourself.

People were waiting for Sam to respond but it seems his slacker ass hasn't
been around the last few days, he'll be rightly fired next time I see him
for not pulling his weight. His 'law', referred to as (Sam) Pottle's law
states:

    "Always run the last checker."

    [btw Tom Keith, Pottle's law isn't listed in your glossary]

Of course this is overdoing it just like the maxim "always hit" is
overdoing it, but on the whole, these will be correct far more than not. To
alter Pottle's law into a more workable adage I'd suggest

Always run the last checker unless there's a very constructive play
elsewhere on the board.

I didn't like the criteria Tad pulled from some site trying to apply it to
running the last checker. Often it can be correct to run out into a double
shot, a triple shot, or even a quadruple shot with the last man.

The reason running the last checker is correct more often than not is that
when you have 14 checkers working offensively your key weakness is the
abandoned back checker. If you get him connected to the rest of your force
your game will be very strong.

This assumes the opponent still has one or more checkers back and that you
aren't running out into a completely hopeless race of course. It should be
noted that running out with the last checker is still often correct even
when down in the race if your opponent has men still to extricate, whether
they be deep in your home board or anchored up. This is again because 15
checkers working in unison to pressure any remaining checkers is a winning
game plan.

      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     | X           O       O |   |     O   O           X |
     |             O       O |   |     O               X |
     |                     O |   |     O               X |
     |                     O |   |                     X |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |  X rolls 6-3
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |     X                 |
     |                     X |   |     X               O |
     | O                   X |   |     X               O |
     | O                   X |   |     X           X   O |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12


      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     | X                   O |   | O   O           O   X |
     |                     O |   | O   O               X |
     |                     O |   |     O                 |
     |                     O |   |                       |
     |                     O |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |  X rolls 5-4
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |     X               O |
     |                 X   X |   | X   X               O |
     |             O   X   X |   | X   X               O |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12


      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     | X                   O |   |     O        O  O   X |
     |                     O |   |     O           O   X |
     |                     O |   |     O               X |
     |                     O |   |                     X |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |  X rolls 6-2
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |     X                 |
     |         O           X |   | X   X               O |
     |     O   O           X |   | X   X               O |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12


      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     |         X           O |   | O   O               X |
     |                     O |   | O   O               X |
     |                     O |   | O                     |
     |                     O |   |                       |
     |                     O |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |  X rolls 6-3
     |                       |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |
     |                       |   |     X           X     |
     |             X       X |   | X   X       O   X   O |
     |     O       X       X |   | X   X       O   X   O |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12


      24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
     | X           O       O |   |     O           O   X |
     |             O       O |   |     O               X |
     |                     O |   |                     X |
     |                     O |   |                     X |
     |                     O |   |                       |
     |                       |   |                       |  X rolls 5-4
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |                       |
     |                     X |   |     X               O |
     | O       X           X |   |     X               O |
     | O       X           X |   |     X               O |
     +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
       1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12

Matt Cohn-Geier  writes:

It's even sometimes right to run the last checker when you are behind in
the race and your opponent has no men back, and take your lumps in a
relatively close race rather than risk getting attacked or primed.
 
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Strategy--Checker play

Avoiding major oversights  (Chuck Bower+, Mar 2008) 
Bearing off with contact  (Walter Trice, Dec 1999) 
Bearing off with contact  (Daniel Murphy, Mar 1998)  [Long message]
Blitzing strategy  (Michael J. Zehr, July 1997) 
Blitzing strategy  (Fredrik Dahl, July 1997) 
Blitzing technique  (Albert Silver+, July 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
Breaking anchor  (abc, Mar 2004) 
Breaking contact  (Alan Webb+, Oct 1999) 
Coming under the gun  (Kit Woolsey, July 1996) 
Common errors  (David Levy, Oct 2009) 
Containment positions  (Brian Sheppard, July 1998) 
Coup Classique  (Paul Epstein+, Dec 2006) 
Cube ownership considerations  (Kit Woolsey, Apr 1996) 
Cube-influenced checker play  (Rew Francis+, Apr 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
Defending against a blitz  (Michael J. Zehr, Jan 1995) 
Estimating in volatile situations  (Kit Woolsey, Mar 1997) 
Gammonish positions  (Michael Manolios, Nov 1999) 
Golden point  (Henry Logan+, Nov 2002) 
Hitting loose in your home board  (Douglas Zare, June 2000) 
Holding games  (Casual_Observer, Jan 1999)  [Long message]
How to trap an anchor  (Timothy Chow+, Apr 2010) 
Jacoby rule consideration  (Ron Karr, Nov 1996) 
Kamikaze plays  (christian munk-christensen+, Nov 2010) 
Kleinman Count for bringing checkers home  (Øystein Johansen, Feb 2001) 
Late loose hits  (Douglas Zare+, Aug 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Mutual holding game  (Ron Karr, Dec 1996) 
Pay now or pay later?  (Stuart Katz, MD, Nov 1997) 
Pay now or pay later?  (Stephen Turner, Mar 1997) 
Pay now or play later?  (Hank Youngerman+, Sept 1998) 
Play versus a novice  (Courtney S Foster+, Apr 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Playing doublets  (Grunty, Jan 2008) 
Playing when opponent has one man back  (Kit Woolsey, May 1995) 
Prime versus prime  (Albert Silver+, Aug 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Prime versus prime  (Michael J. Zehr, Mar 1996) 
Saving gammon  (Bill Riles, Oct 2009) 
Saving gammon  (Ron Karr, Dec 1997) 
Splitting your back men  (KL Gerber+, Nov 2002) 
Splitting your back men  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 
Trap play problem  (Brian Sheppard, Feb 1997) 
When in doubt  (Stick+, Apr 2011) 
When to run the last checker  (Stick Rice+, Jan 2009) 
When you can't decide  (John O'Hagan, Oct 2009) 

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