2021 - Position 219

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Unlimited Games. How should Red play 22?

Note: The solution to this problem will be posted on Tuesday 28th December.

The obvious play is 24/20(2), intending to release those two checkers in due course and play a (hopefully) well-timed 3-4 back game. That is the second-best play and it is only just technically an error.

The best play is 24/20, 22/20, 6/4. That deals with the superfluous Red checker on White’s 3-pt while keeping a goalkeeper on White’s ace-point. After all, you never know when you might need a goalkeeper!

This problem demonstrates that, if possible, one should keep multiple game plan options and that is precisely what 24/20, 22/20, 6/4 does here. Of course, any play involving hitting on the 11-pt is a blunder or far worse.