2022 - Position 186

XGID=aB-BCBBb--B-bA-Abc-b--ba--:1:-1:1:41:0:0:3:0:10

Unlimited Games. How should Red play 41?

The priority here is not safety but closing the 2-pt. White’s board means that Red can take liberties with the position and spread his builders around.

15/14, 13/9 is fine but the most aggressive moves put a builder on the 6-pt. Those plays are 15/14, 10/6, 10/6, 4/3 and 10/9, 10/6.

15/14, 10/6 wins the day because it keeps double fours as a close-out number and makes double sixes a good number if White enters with a two.

10/6, 4/3 comes second and 15/14, 13/9 is a very close third. The key here is to understand the prime objective of closing the 2-pt.