2022 - Position 74

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Match Play. Red leads 3-2 to 5. How should Red play 65?

Red has four stripped outer board points and has just been given the chance to clear one of them and create new builders - he should take it.

White has an anchor, and the cube is in the middle and both of these point to clearing the 14-pt.

While winning a gammon is very powerful, the first priority is to win the game. If Red plays 9/3*, 8/3 and White enters Red will still have a lot of work to do.

Connectivity implies that 14/9, 14/8 is the right way to go and indeed it is. Making the 3-pt is a bad blunder.