Master's Panel—Updated
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From Backgammon Times, Volume 2, Number 3, Summer 1982.
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Mike Senkiewicz recently discovered some old issues of Backgammon News, a newsletter published by Prince Alexis Obolensky's World Backgammon Club in the early 1970s. In each issue Obolensky ran a Master's Panel where several leading players tackled a series of interesting problems.
With Backgammon News Editor Joe Pasternack's permission, we have reprinted a set of Master's Panel problems along with the answers of the old Masters. To make things interesting we have put the problems to a panel of current Masters hand-picked by Senkiewicz.
See how you handle the positions and find out if the Masters agree—and see if they agree with each other.
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Problem 1
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Black to play 4-2.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Close home board. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Close home board. |
| Tally Speer |
Close home board. |
| Ted Bassett |
Make one point, take four out to White's eight point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Close home board. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
Close your home board. It's not even close. Bassett ought to have his head examined. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Close your home board and split the six point. It's not even close. |
| Erik Seidel |
Close the home board. |
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Problem 2
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White doubles. Should Black accept?
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Yes. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Yes. |
| Tally Speer |
Yes. |
| Ted Bassett |
No. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Yes. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
Yes. My only question is will my opponent pay when he loses. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
An easy take. White should not have doubled. |
| Erik Seidel |
No. |
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Problem 3
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Black to play 4-3.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Make the three point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Make the three point. |
| Tally Speer |
Make the three point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Make the three point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Make the three point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
Make the three point. Simple plays for simple minds. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Make the three point. The five point is also good—it's fairly close. |
| Erik Seidel |
Make the three point. |
* * *
Problem 4
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Black to play 6-2.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Make the five point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Make the five point. |
| Tally Speer |
Make the five point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Make the five point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Make the five point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
A bit difficult, but I'd say at first glance to clear the mid-point. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Make the five point. |
| Erik Seidel |
Make the five point. |
* * *
Problem 5
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Black doubles. Should White accept?
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
No. |
| Barclay Cooke |
No. |
| Tally Speer |
No. |
| Ted Bassett |
Pass. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
No. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
Pass, but close. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
No—it's clearcut. |
| Erik Seidel |
No. |
* * *
Problem 6
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White to play 3-3.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Make Black's four point and White's ten point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Hit and make five point. |
| Tally Speer |
Make Black's four point and White's five point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Make five point and hit. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Hit and make five point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
There are a lot of possible plays here. Although the other plays look OK, I would hit and make the five point. In a chouette I don't think I would say anything if they moved in other ways. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Hit and make the five point. Not hitting gives Black too many numbers that play well. |
| Erik Seidel |
Make the five and three points, especially in a match. |
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Problem 7
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Black to play 3-3.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Make White's four point and Black's three point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Make Black's five and three point. |
| Tally Speer |
Make Black's five and three point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Make Black's five and three point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Make Black's five and three point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
I would build my board and make Black's five and three points. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Make White's three point. |
| Erik Seidel |
This is really tough. I would make the five and three points. |
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Problem 8
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Black to play 6-1.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Out to Black's bar point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Hit White on two point. |
| Tally Speer |
Out to Black's bar point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Out to Black's bar point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Hit White on two point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
I would not hit. To come out and then hit the two point doesn't work when it works. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Come out to the bar point and don't hit. |
| Erik Seidel |
This is pretty easy. Come out to the bar. |
* * *
Problem 9
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Black to play 6-3.
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Old Masters
| Tim Holland |
Safety man to one point. |
| Barclay Cooke |
Make Black's bar point. |
| Tally Speer |
Safety man to one point. |
| Ted Bassett |
Safety man to one point. |
| Prince Alexis Obolensky |
Make Black's bar point. |
New Masters
| Kent Goulding |
This is very close. I would bring the safety man to the one point. As a general rule I prefer to pay later. I could be wrong here, though. |
| Sandy Lubetkin |
Making the prime is the better position. |
| Erik Seidel |
Safety man to one point. |
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Continue to Master's Panel Updated #2.
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