2023 - Position 68

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Match Play. Blue trails 4-6 to 7. How should Blue play 63?

Blue’s game plan is to make the 8-pt and complete a full prime. Note that 7/1*, 4/1 is completely wrong giving White chances he doesn’t deserve, and that move is a quintuple blunder.

The question is do you slot the 8-pt with 20/17, 14/8 or bring a builder with 20/11? The answer is that not leaving White an immediate 61 joker is best but it is very close.

Note that 22/13 is also badly wrong. With a 58-pip deficit in the race Blue should hold on to the 22-pt while the matter of his 8-pt is resolved.

This is a question of priorities Blue’s 8-pt is the key to this position so that is where the attention needs to be focused.