2023 - Position 193

XGID=--a-BaC-D--BbB--bc-b-Bbb--:0:0:1:54:5:6:1:7:10

Match Play. Red trails 5-6 (Crawford).  How should Red play 54?

Red is behind in the race and he needs all his checkers to work for him as the cube is out of use. 8/4, 6/1 is safe but leaves a truly horrible structure with little hope of improvement.

11/2* leaving two blots is too bold especially when one of the checkers is vulnerable to sixes which White cannot use to enter from the bar.

The only sensible play is 8/4, 8/3. White’s ones are partially duplicated but the key is to keep all the checkers active. In a war all the soldiers need to be active on the field of battle.