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Money Play. How should Red play 54?
Red needs to take advantage of White’s two home board blots.
We can discard the dreadful 13/9, 13/8, taking all the pressure off White. 9/5, 6/1* is a candidate, unstacking the heavy 6-pt and putting White on the bar.
However, the best play is 9/4, 8/4, strengthening the home board. The two Red blots are in little danger as White will need a perfect number to elect to hit.
Over the board 20/16, 20/15 was played but running while behind is rarely right and here it is worse than a double blunder.
Following Kent Goulding’s maxim: “put them where you want them” is often a good guide and here it is spot on. 9/4, 8/4 it is.