Position 464

 How should White play 65 here:

After the roll you will be ahead in the race by 19 pips, so you consider the safe play of 10/4 9/4:

This move just creates TMP (Too Many Points), plus your position is inflexible. That means that you will have very little choice about how to move your future rolls.

You have also done nothing about escaping your rear most checkers or stopping Black from extending their prime.

Consider 23/17 10/5:

You have split to Black’s 8 point, the point he would most like to make. This move just makes it easier for him to make it because he can hit you loose on his 8 point, then if you do not return hit, he has slotted the point you most want to make.

The other problem with this play is that you want to leave your blots in front of stripped intermediate points, and Black’s midpoint has 3 checkers on it so that it is not stripped.

Consider 23/17 22/17:

You have blots on your 22, 10 and 9 points. But all the checkers aiming at these blots, are from points that are stripped. If Black hits you, they will have to give up a point unless they roll doubles.

Your 7 point is Black’s bridge that lets him easily escape his rear most checkers on his 24 and 23 points. If he hits from your 7 point, he will then be in a fight for this point, and he really does not want to give it up.

You have also made Black’s 8 point so they cannot extend their prime. Now you have a bridge to escape your rear most checkers.

It looks dangerous to leave 2 blots, but it will cost Black to hit those blots.