Position 427

 How should White play 53 here:

If you want to leave no blots, you could play 13/10 13/8:

The issue with this play is that you have given up your outfield presence, making it so much harder for you to run your back checkers to safety. The 13 point is a good point to put fleeing checkers on. Losing control of the outfield will cause long-term problems.

You would like to get an advanced anchor, so you consider that hit and split play of 24/21 6/1*:

This does duplicate 1s to hit in two different places, but you will be hit somewhere with any 1 as well as 64, 44, 33 and 22. That is a total of 16 rolls or 44% of the time. That number is too high.

Consider 8/3 6/3:

This move retains your 13 point, so that in the future you will have a landing spot for your escaping back checkers. It gives you a much stronger board than Black, and if Black does not hit you, then you will have 4 builders for your 4 point and three builders for your 7 point.

If Black does hit you, then you will have numbers that enter and anchor.

This is the correct move.




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Position 420

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 How should White play 54 here: It is always disappointing to miss when you have a double shot at a blot. But there is nothing you can do about that; you missed so you need to focus on finding the best play. The safe play is 6/1 6/2: But this is just too safe. You need to hit a blot as you are so far behind in the race, and when you hit that blot you need a board that has no blots in it. This move changes your board from a 4 point board to a 3 point board with a blot. You could minimise the chances that your opponent will hit you by playing 18/13 18/14: But to win, you need to hit and to hit you really want to maximise contact. This move does the opposite and minimises contact. You need to be aware that Black’s board has 2 open points. That means if you are hit, with one checker you will enter on 20 numbers or 56% of the time. Consider 13/8 13/9: This move retains your 18 point, which is back far enough that it will take many rolls for Black to get their 2 checkers on their...
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