Over on DailyGammon, Arthur Wright organises an annual series of international team challenges – 25-point matches between six teams of thirteen, starting in early January, with the final games wrapping up usually around Easter time. I was delighted to make the cut this year for the British Bulldogs and today’s position comes from my match with Perfect-Celle (Marcel) of the German Wunderbars, this year’s overall champions. A rather undeserved win for me, but sadly a 7-6 team loss.
Usually I simply run a match though eXtremeGammon and locate all my blunders as a way of finding positions for this column – but today it’s Marcel playing Blue in a position I would probably have missed over the board if the sides were swapped. Can you do better?
If we play 24/16, 14/6 it duplicates 4’s to hit. We don’t really mind being hit on the 11 point as his bar is stripped so we’ll get return shots. But this is an ugly play and commits to a race when we’re only 2 pips up so think I’d actually favour the slightly less ugly play of 11/6, 8/4 (2).
Might even be 4 & 2 points.
Duplication plays are overrated and rarely correct.