2024 - Position 90

XGID=bABBbBB-BA-------Acdb-bB--:0:0:1:21:4:0:0:7:10

Match Play. Red leads 4-0 to 7. How should Red play 21?

Red wants to escape his two rear checkers and cover the blot on his ace-point. 23/21 is virtually mandatory with the two. 8/7 is too bold with the ace – seven blots is just too many.

The subtle 2/1 is the right way to play the ace, switching the blot to the 2-pt and giving Red sixes to cover next time or to hit back if White enters a checker on the 2-pt. Remember to always look how your sixes will play if you have a checker hit as sixes can’t (normally) be used to enter from the bar.

Any move other than 23/21, 2/1 is an error and 23/21, 8/7 is a blunder.