2023 - Position 104

XGID=aB--CBB-Ba--b-b--c-bbBb-B-:1:-1:1:62:1:5:0:11:10

Match Play. Blue trails 1-5 to 11. How should Blue play 62?

Making the 2-pt is just too optimistic. Blue will still need to roll 90 pips to get his rear checkers home. That equates to eleven rolls by which time White will have easily entered from the bar (unless the blot on Blue’s 9-pt is picked up as well).

The correct game plan is to get the rear checkers moving and to try to pick up the White blot on the 9-pt. The right play is 24/16. 8/2, 4/2 is bad error while 21/13 is a blunder.

Optimism is fine but rose-tinted glasses are not!