Curlers....please explain

[Sheepwheat]

When you have the hammer, you want to score at least two. If you are in position to score less than two, it is better to throw that end. When you do not have the hammer, you want to score, or steal at least one point, or there is no point.

Those things play into strategy that outsiders may marvel at and on the surface makes no sense.

[farmaholic]

Thank you GDR, I'm not a curling guru at all. So I do have to ask if one of those first five rocks is placed in the rings can it be removed, I haven't watched that closely!

Other curling strategies... having "out lying" rocks further from the pin. Forcing the opposition into "taking" a point and losing the hammer. Stealing points in ends where your team doesn't have last rock. Placing rocks in the outer rings "across" from each other which eliminates a double take out of them.

Maybe curling could be called a form of "Ice Chess", although chess is purely academic and strategic where curling actually requires a different type of "skill" but still strategic.

I used to hate football until I came to understand the game.

[checking]

Put a rock in the rings at any time, and it can be removed immediately. Most times it isn't, particularly if it is in the back of the house, early in the end.

I think of all the shop floors that could be swept during a game, and all the blown knees in later life that could be saved.

[GDR]

[QUOTE=farmaholic;403164]Thank you GDR, I'm not a curling guru at all. So I do have to ask if one of those first five rocks is placed in the rings can it be removed, I haven't watched that closely!

In the rings is fair game they are only safe between the hog line and the front of the house. You will often see the pros just tap one off to the side but not actually remove it and that is fine. If you accidentally take one of the other teams free guards out then your rock comes off and theirs gets put back where it was. You can remove your own colour free guard if you wish. The new 5 guard rule gives an advantage to the team without the hammer cause they get 3 and the hammer team only gets 2. Once you get to number 6 rock they are all free game again, even the first 5