Position445

 How should White play 51 here:

Your checker on your 21 point, is on the next point Black would like to make. Some players underestimate the value of making your inner board points in order. Making your points in order gives you both priming and blitzing potential, with the ability to play either depending on how the game continues. Therefore, you really need to move 21/16 with the 5 and then decide how to play the 1.

Consider 21/15:

This escapes the checker on your 21 point as far as it can go and minimises Black’s shots. But what do you do for an encore? You have not improved your board, so if you are lucky, you may be able to use the checker on your 15 point to make another point in your outer board. That would be nice but not really menacing.

Consider 21/16 24/23:

This leaves more shots, but it does introduce another idea: duplicating Black’s hitting 4s.

This also gives you good 5s and 6s, so it has diversified your good rolls if missed, but it has not really improved your position that much if you are missed.

Consider 21/16 6/5:

Now if you are missed, you will have a good 6s, 5s, 3s and 1s. You are threatening to really improve your position, and you are duplicating 4s.

This is a splot – a slot while your back checkers are split. For a splot to be correct, you always need duplication. This is a splendid example of a splot.