• Blitz versus prime

    From Timothy Chow@21:1/5 to All on Sun Dec 25 11:07:06 2022
    XGID=aBaBBAB-A----B--Abbdbb-Ba-:1:1:1:41:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | X X O O | | O O O X O |
    | X O O | | O O O X |
    | | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | | O | |
    | | | |
    | | | | +---+
    | | | X X X X | | 2 |
    | X | | X X X X O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 129 O: 121 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 41

    ---
    Tim Chow

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Timothy Chow@21:1/5 to All on Wed Dec 28 10:23:26 2022
    XGID=aBaBBAB-A----B--Abbdbb-Ba-:1:1:1:41:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | X X O O | | O O O X O |
    | X O O | | O O O X |
    | | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | | O | |
    | | | |
    | | | | +---+
    | | | X X X X | | 2 |
    | X | | X X X X O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 129 O: 121 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 41

    The normal blitzing play in this sort of situation is to switch points
    with 6/5 6/2*, and that in fact is what XG 3-ply does. The idea is that whether you switch points or not, you have a four-point board and a blot
    in your board, but if you switch points, the opponent has an extra
    checker on the bar. True, you sacrifice your 6pt, but in a blitz, it
    usually doesn't matter all that much which points you've made.

    However, the rollout below favors 13/8. I think that's because this is
    not a "pure" blitzing position. X, after all, is a clear underdog, and
    has to escape his two checkers from behind O's five-prime when he's not
    even at the edge. A blot on his 2pt is harder to cover than a blot on
    the 5pt, and moreover, switching points more or less commits him to a
    blitzing plan rather than a priming plan. 13/8 keeps open both options.

    For comparison, in the variant, I have scooched up X's back checkers
    to the edge of O's prime, and switching points comes out on top.

    1. Rollout¹ 13/8 eq:-0.256
    Player: 36.68% (G:11.05% B:0.31%)
    Opponent: 63.32% (G:21.53% B:1.34%)
    Confidence: ±0.010 (-0.266..-0.246) - [100.0%]

    2. Rollout¹ 6/5 6/2* eq:-0.322 (-0.066)
    Player: 33.83% (G:11.36% B:0.20%)
    Opponent: 66.17% (G:20.75% B:1.49%)
    Confidence: ±0.010 (-0.333..-0.312) - [0.0%]

    3. Rollout¹ 23/22 16/12 eq:-0.329 (-0.073)
    Player: 37.43% (G:12.68% B:0.34%)
    Opponent: 62.57% (G:30.13% B:3.90%)
    Confidence: ±0.012 (-0.341..-0.317) - [0.0%]

    ¹ 1296 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
    Dice Seed: 271828
    Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

    eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.19.211.pre-release

    -------
    Variant
    -------

    XGID=aBaBBAB-A----B--AbbdbbB-a-:1:1:1:41:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | X X O O | | O O O X O |
    | X O O | | O O O X |
    | | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | | O | |
    | | | |
    | | | | +---+
    | | | X X X X | | 2 |
    | X | | X X X X O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 127 O: 121 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 41

    1. Rollout¹ 6/5 6/2* eq:+0.169
    Player: 48.45% (G:19.55% B:0.30%)
    Opponent: 51.55% (G:15.28% B:0.92%)
    Confidence: ±0.011 (+0.158..+0.180) - [100.0%]

    2. Rollout¹ 13/8 eq:+0.109 (-0.060)
    Player: 47.41% (G:15.49% B:0.35%)
    Opponent: 52.59% (G:16.86% B:0.79%)
    Confidence: ±0.011 (+0.098..+0.119) - [0.0%]

    ¹ 1296 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
    Dice Seed: 271828
    Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

    eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.19.211.pre-release

    ---
    Tim Chow

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Timothy Chow@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 16 08:44:15 2024
    XGID=aB-aaBCAE--------ccdb-A-A-:1:1:1:52:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | O O | | O O X X |
    | O O | | O O |
    | O O | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | X | O | |
    | X | | |
    | X | | X | +---+
    | X | | X X X | | 2 |
    | X X | | X X O O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 123 O: 147 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 52

    ---
    Tim Chow

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Timothy Chow@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jan 18 08:38:46 2024
    XGID=aB-aaBCAE--------ccdb-A-A-:1:1:1:52:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | O O | | O O X X |
    | O O | | O O |
    | O O | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | X | O | |
    | X | | |
    | X | | X | +---+
    | X | | X X X | | 2 |
    | X X | | X X O O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 123 O: 147 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 52

    This is another position where X has to decide whether to go all out
    with the blitz, or whether he needs to step up his back checker so
    that it sees daylight. XG says to go all out, but see the variant.

    1. Rollout¹ 8/3* 6/4* eq:+0.472
    Player: 56.30% (G:32.70% B:1.29%)
    Opponent: 43.70% (G:14.15% B:1.20%)
    Confidence: ±0.017 (+0.454..+0.489) - [100.0%]

    2. Rollout¹ 24/22 8/3* eq:+0.381 (-0.091)
    Player: 53.72% (G:25.95% B:0.90%)
    Opponent: 46.28% (G:11.61% B:0.55%)
    Confidence: ±0.014 (+0.367..+0.395) - [0.0%]

    ¹ 1296 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
    Dice Seed: 271828
    Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

    eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.19.211.pre-release

    -------
    Variant
    -------

    XGID=aB-aaBCAE--------ccdb--AA-:1:1:1:52:0:0:0:0:10

    Score is X:0 O:0. Unlimited Game
    +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
    | O O | | O O X X |
    | O O | | O O |
    | O O | | O |
    | | | O |
    | | | |
    | |BAR| |
    | X | O | |
    | X | | |
    | X | | X | +---+
    | X | | X X X | | 2 |
    | X X | | X X O O X | +---+
    +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
    Pip count X: 124 O: 147 X-O: 0-0
    Cube: 2, X own cube
    X to play 52

    1. Rollout¹ 23/21 8/3* eq:+0.410
    Player: 53.90% (G:26.91% B:0.94%)
    Opponent: 46.10% (G:13.17% B:0.94%)
    Confidence: ±0.008 (+0.402..+0.418) - [100.0%]

    2. Rollout¹ 8/3* 6/4* eq:+0.373 (-0.037)
    Player: 52.08% (G:29.54% B:1.20%)
    Opponent: 47.92% (G:15.89% B:1.32%)
    Confidence: ±0.009 (+0.364..+0.382) - [0.0%]

    ¹ 1296 Games rolled with Variance Reduction.
    Dice Seed: 271828
    Moves: 3-ply, cube decisions: XG Roller

    eXtreme Gammon Version: 2.19.211.pre-release

    ---
    Tim Chow

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)