Position 384

 How should White play 32 here:

The good news is that you have entered from the bar with the 2, but how do you play the 3?

Consider 6/3:

Creating an extra inner board blot, means that Black can attack not caring if you hit them from the bar because you will usually have at least one inner board blot.

This move is too big and leaves you too vulnerable.

Consider bar/23 13/10:

This move does duplicate 5’s for Black to hit on both sides of the board. However, like the previous candidate move it creates an extra blot when Black has a very strong board and will probably attack you.

Consider bar/20:

This move keeps your blot count to only 2. But it does move up to Blacks 5 point, and they would much rather make the 5 point than their 2 point. And it is closer to Blacks 13 point, so it will be easy to cover if Black hits you loose on their 5 point.

Consider bar/23 7/4:

You have kept your blot count at 2 and now you have improved your board strength. If Black attacks you on their 2 point, they are not making their 5 point.

This is the move that makes the best of a bad situation. It maximises your winning chances.

You cannot always win, but you can give yourself the best chance to win.

 

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Position 383

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Position 385

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 How should White play 51 here: After the roll you will be ahead in the race by 22 pips, so you consider the safe play of 6/1 3/2: Although this is safe for the next roll, as it leaves no blots that Black can hit, this is not very safe long-term. You will be still stacked on your 6 point and have no spares on any other point. You will be inflexible and brittle. It is always good to make your 5 point, so you consider 10/5 6/5: The problem with this play, is the 13 rolls that hit the blot on your 10 point. If Black hits you, the fact that you have a blot on your 3 point, should make you less willing to hit in your inner board as you enter from the bar. You do not want to put your racing lead in jeopardy. You can cover the blot on your 3 point and give yourself some flexibility by playing 8/7 8/3: Now your board is stronger, and you have a spare on your 7 point, but in order to achieve those pluses you have had to give up your 8 point. Your 8 point was useful for blocking Black an...
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Position 379

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 How should White play 63 here: You can play completely safe here, by playing 10/1: Some unknown wise person said “sometimes the greatest risk of all, is to take no risk”. This move may seem safe but by next roll Black will probably have covered the blot on their 2 point and it will be much more risky to leave your 20 point anchor. If you roll 33, 32, 31 or 11, you will damage your prime next roll. Consider 20/11: Black has no active builders above your blot on the 20 point. An active builder is a checker that can be used to hit or make a point without it giving up the point is on. Here if Black hits from the 8 or 7 points they will have to give up that point unless they roll 22 or 11. It is a good time to run because Black has the blot on their 2 point. However, this roll leaves three blots around the board, so that if things go wrong for you here as White, Black could end up putting all three of those checkers on the bar and winning more Gammons. It is good to leave Blacks ...
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