Forum Archive : Terminology

"Weaver" From:   Alan Webb Address:   vsg-isg@t-online.de Date:   31 May 2000 Subject:   The "Weaver" Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   8h2gqs$res$11$1@news.t-online.com Paul Lamford in the glossary of his excellent handbook "Improve your Game" mentioned a term called a "weaver". He describes a weaver as a deliberate misplay in the hope that an inferior opponent will take his offered cube next turn. To be used with caution me thinks :-) regards Alan Douglas Zare  writes: I was introduced to a "Weaver Coup" by an opponent on Yahoo, who was trying to blitz me but ran out of ammo. She had used her 8 and the spares on her 6 to make her 1, 2, and 3 points. I had made no real forward progress, and entered one of two checkers to her 4 when she doubled, and I took. She laughingly explained that a Weaver Coup was when one is too good to double, but has lost a lot of equity on the last exchange; one can double and get a take. The joke was on her, though; since I was trailing -3:-6 Snowie 3 thought my take (and later aggressive double) was correct. Then again, so was her double. Douglas Zare Genghis  writes: The origin of the "weaver" is as follows: Paul Weaver was known for wanting to double opponents in therefore he sometimes would not double in a position where his opponent had a clear pass. Instead he would play on until the opponent had a clear take to double. The "Weaver" was a derisive term for the games which he blew by doubling the opponent in causing him to LOSE points rather than winning a sure point. Charles Russell  writes: As I've been told, the term "Weaver" is not attributable to Paul, but rather to Tom Weaver. Further, the idea is not necessarily to wait for a double-in opportunity, but to craftily anticipate a decrease in equity such that, though still a technical pass, the opponent may be tricked into taking (this has deep implications especially for late bearoff positions at difficult match scores). Proper Weavering would never involve losing a point: one must cash as soon as any market-*regaining* sequences are threatened. Or so I've been told. John Maley  writes: Charles Russell is absolutely correct. This particular tactic comes from Tom Weaver, and not Paul. It's rarely used these days, but against a weaker opponent can come in handy from time to time. The misplay need not be a blunder type move, but perhaps the 2nd. or 3rd. best move. The goal is to get your opponent to accept the cube.   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Terminology

Alphabet soup  (Tom Keith, Apr 2004) 

"Anchor and guard" position  (Chase+, Apr 2010) 

"Back game"  (Marty Storer, Jan 2004) 

"Baffle box"  (garyo+, Mar 2005) 

"Bagai position"  (Timothy Chow, Dec 2012) 

"Banana split"  (Rich Munitz+, June 2011) 

"Banana split"  (Adam Stocks+, Sept 2004) 

"Beavers"  (Sander van Rijnswou, May 1999) 

"Beavers"  (Shuman Lloyd Lee, Aug 1991) 

"Blunder", "whopper"  (Raccoon+, July 2005) 

"Bot"  (Pit Bull+, Mar 2004) 

"Bronstein" clock setting  (rew+, Sept 2012) 

"Calcutta auction"  (Roland Scheicher+, Dec 2001) 

"Chouette"  (Roland Scheicher+, Mar 2002) 

"Cube provocation play"  (Chuck Bower+, Apr 2007) 

"Dance"  (William R. Tallmadge, May 1998) 

"Dropper"  (Robert D. Johnson, Sept 1996) 

"Duplication" and "diversification"  (Simon Woodhead, Nov 1991) 

"Equity"  (Gregg Cattanach, Aug 2000) 

"Equity"  (Gary Wong, Dec 1998) 

"Equity"  (Chuck Bower, Oct 1996) 

"Equity"  (Michael J. Zehr, Mar 1996) 

"Equity", "volatility", "claim", "market"  (Erik Gravgaard, June 1995) 

"Freeroll"  (montygram, Nov 2005) 

"Gammon price"  (Ron Karr, Aug 1996) 

"Gammon rate", "gammon price"  (David Montgomery, June 1995) 

"Gammon-go" (GG) and "gammon-save" (GS)  (Mary Hickey, Feb 2004) 

"Gammon-go" (GG) and "gammon-save" (GS)  (Marty Storer, Oct 2002) 

"Gammon-go" (GG)   (Chuck Bower, Jan 2004) 

"Golden point"  (Daniel Murphy, Dec 2004) 

"Holding game"  (Alan Webb+, Dec 1998) 

"In the box"  (Ken Bame+, Sept 2012) 

International phrase dictionary  (David Allen Sorensen, Sept 1997) 

"Joker"  (Richard Divdesman, Sept 1998) 

"Kamikaze play"  (Bill Patterson+, June 2011) 

"Kauder paradox"  (Carl Tait+, Nov 1995) 

"Latto paradox"  (Jean-Pierre Seiman+, July 2004) 

"Lose your market"  (Shuman Lloyd Lee+, Aug 1991) 

"MCV"  (Mislav Radica+, Oct 2009) 

"PRaT"  (Raccoon+, Jan 2007) 

"Phantom double hit"  (Marty Storer, May 2010) 

"Polish prime"  (Jason Lee+, Jan 2006) 

"Pure play"  (Daniel Murphy, Nov 2000) 

"Pure play"  (Casey Forrest+, Feb 1996) 

"Raccoon"  (Steven Keats, Feb 2011) 

"Root number"  (Ken Bame, June 2004) 

"Russian Bridges"  (leobueno+, Mar 2013) 

"Short play"  (AJ+, July 2012) 

"Speed board"  (Gregg Cattanach, June 2004) 

"Splot"  (mamabear, Apr 2007) 

"Squeeze", "trap play"  (Philippe Michel+, Feb 1997) 

"Suicide play"  (Brian Sheppard, Aug 1997) 

"Swing tournament"  (Carlo Melzi+, Mar 2006) 

"Table stakes"  (Carlo Melzi, Sept 2002) 

"Technical play"  (Adam Stocks+, July 2002) 

"Thematic"  (Beauregard+, Aug 2009) 

"Thorp count"  (Stephen Turner, June 1996) 

"Time," "timing," "checker," "dancing"  (Marty Storer, Apr 1992) 

Turkish names for rolls  (Lars Soezueer, Mar 1997) 

"Vigorish"  (Anthony R Wuersch, Feb 1995) 

"Volatility"  (Michael J. Zehr, June 1998) 

"Wash"  (Hardy Hübener+, Sept 2004) 

"Wash"  (Brian Sheppard, July 1997) 

"Weaver"  (Alan Webb+, May 2000) 

"Zone" of attack  (Matt Reklaitis+, Dec 2007) 

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