Thanks! :)

UBC streamed matches is coming up next week!! :) I am in training camp, I want that Grandmaster Galaxy title!

@@Marcolino10DK have you read ZZs book in preparation? 😜 PS what considerations does your opponent have here? Is it purely how many gammons or do they still need to consider their winning chances?

Earth Board checkers :-)

do you have at least 1000€?

yeah thats my query. it seems almost counter productive to take this approach. nut hey im no Grandmaster..... (yet !) lol

Technically, you're right. But notice, (1) Your approach avoids to impose a very tough decision on your opponent. If your opponent isn't a bot like XG or GNU, even a smart human player might blunder. Either he takes incorrectly in a gammonish position or he might pass in a harmless position where the gammon threats aren't that prevalent. Don't underrate psychological aspects of BG in a tournament situation! (2) Going for a gammon by applying the blitz strategy is always very risky. If your gammon-strategy fails, it will be very likely that you lose the game. Match over! Therefore, building up a blitz scenario without being obliged to play it to the end is very attractive.

Yes, that is why the error is so so small between Cubing right away and Waiting. Remember that anytime your opponent mis-plays the cube it increases your winning%. So the idea of giving your opponent a difficult decision, is giving your opponent the opportunity to increase your winning% by making a mistake.

I have the same doubt but I think the answer is yes. If you are even away I think this doesn't apply since your opponent must drop if his chances are 49% or less.

Yes, you must be odd-away to use this trick. At even-away, the opponent's take point is very high. For example, at 4-away Trailer needs to win two doubled games, but Leader can drop to 3-away and Trailer still needs two win win two doubled games. Therefore, Leader should drop if they are losing even just a little bit.

Easier, for you but also easier for your oponent, hence the trick.

Technically, you're right. But notice, (1) Your approach avoids to impose a very tough decision on your opponent. If your opponent isn't a bot like XG or GNU, even a smart human player might blunder. Either he takes incorrectly in a gammonish position or he might pass in a harmless position where the gammon threats aren't that prevalent. Don't underrate psychological aspects of BG in a tournament situation! (2) Going for a gammon by applying the blitz strategy is always very risky. If your gammon-strategy fails, it will be very likely that you lose the game. Match over! Therefore, building up a blitz scenario without being obliged to play it to the end is very attractive.

Because gammons wins the match for black. If you take as white in a position which is way too gammonish, you might be better off passing and playing for a theoretical 50/50 (plus the free drop).

@@evanbourgnon4765 but that's a different question as to whether always taking the 'trick' cube is as good as automatic double / take for the leader.

my point is: if the leader takes the following strategy - always take, unless 100% confident it is a correct drop - the 'trickster' can only be hurting his own match winning chances

@@squirrelpatrick3670 That's correct, but the trick is in the fact that the take/pass theory is very different from what we are used to, the raw takepoint is 4% and the gammon price is equal to 1 at 1a/3a. To benefit from a trick, you must be confident that you understand the cube theory at this score better than your oponent. Assuming your oponent knows perfectly what to do with the cube if sent, then then there's no point in tricking, the only one you may trick is yourself. However, in doubt of your oponent's level, there's a lighter version of the trick which I loooooove to use. I just make sure (and I mean sure !) I always send a cube if my best sequence yields a pass (considering the awkwardness of the score). And sometimes, we end up in a boring holding game or race, with no gammons. Then I make sure I send a clear money pass, but an enourmous take at the score. It worked out twice. Getting passed is orgasmic !

@@evanbourgnon4765 I think we nearly agree! My belief is that if as leader, you always take the trick cube, then the trickster has no advantage from waiting - no matter how much he/she understands the nuances. I don't see any circumstance where that doesn't hold. I don't know if this applies to PR contests, but I think it does for match winning chance.