Blue should build a prime to contain White’s last back checker. Blue leads by 5 pips, 150 to 155, holds the 2, 6 and 7 points with four checkers stacked on the 6 point, and White’s last back checker sits alone on Blue’s 1 point. Blue plays 7/5 6/5, making the 5 point for a three-point inner board while the remaining checkers on the 6, 7 and 8 points serve as builders for the 4 point. The 5 point is the point Blue wants most, and making it also unstacks the 6 point. The blots on the 7 and 8 points can be hit only by the White checker on the 1 point, and White’s one-point inner board keeps that risk low. Splitting with 24/21 puts a blot in front of White’s checkers on the 12, 16, 17 and 19 points. It loses 0.083 equity, a BLUNDER.

Blue should race home while keeping the checkers active. Blue leads by 15 pips, 109 to 124, holds an anchor on White’s 5 point, and holds the 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 points with a blot on the 3 point, while White’s anchor on Blue’s 5 point waits for a shot. Blue plays 13/10 13/8, leaving builders on the 8 and 10 points that can cover the 3 point or make the 8 point next turn. Clearing the midpoint is the hard part of bringing a race lead home against an anchor. White hits from the anchor with a 3 or a 5, but such a hit usually leaves a White blot on Blue’s 5 point. Making the 3 point with 6/3 6/1 gives up the 6 point and buries a checker. It loses 0.050 equity, an ERROR.

Blue must play for a late hit and then contain White. Blue trails by 29 pips, 119 to 90, White holds Blue’s bar point with every other checker home, and Blue holds the 1, 4, 5 and 6 points with blots on the 2, 3 and 8 points. Blue plays 6/3 6/2, giving up the 6 point to make the 2 and 3 points, so Blue holds five points in a row from the 1 point to the 5 point. White’s sixes cannot be played because Blue’s midpoint sits six pips in front of the anchor, and a hit White checker would enter only with a 6, 11 rolls of 36. Making the 3 point with 8/4 6/3 leaves the 2 and 6 points open. It loses 0.020 equity, an ERROR.

Blue should contain White’s split back checkers rather than try to race. Blue trails by 17 pips, 136 to 119, White has blots on Blue’s 3 and 5 points, and Blue holds the 2, 6 and 8 points with an anchor on White’s bar point. Blue plays 13/4, slotting the 4 point with the 6, 8 and 13 points as cover. Only the White checker on the 3 point can hit the slot, and only with a 1, so when White misses Blue can cover and aim at three inner board points against two loose White checkers. Playing safe with 13/8 6/2 stacks a fourth checker on the 2 point. It loses 0.090 equity, a BLUNDER. Hitting loose with 13/9 8/3* invites a return hit while Blue’s own two-point board makes the loose hit weak, and loses 0.134 equity, a BLUNDER.

Blue should work toward a prime while keeping the anchor secure. Blue is on the bar, trails by 22 pips, 166 to 144, and holds the 5, 6 and 8 points and an anchor on White’s 3 point against White’s two-point inner board. Blue plays Bar/22 6/4, entering safely on the anchor and slotting the 4 point at the back of the 5 and 6 points. The slot is useful here because White’s checker on the 1 point has not reached the edge of Blue’s points, so a covered 4 point would stand directly in front of that checker. Only that checker can hit the slot, White’s two-point board makes the risk more acceptable, and after a miss Blue can cover. Entering with Bar/23 8/5 leaves a blot among White’s builders. It loses 0.040 equity, an ERROR.

Blue should anchor first, then build the front position. The race is level, 160 to 161, and Blue’s back checkers sit split on the 22 and 24 points facing nine White checkers on the 17 and 19 points plus four more on White’s midpoint, all aimed at those two blots. Blue plays 24/20 22/20, making White’s 5 point. Two loose back checkers under that much fire point toward defense, and the 20 anchor is the hardest point Blue wants, so Blue makes it while the roll allows. Anchored there, the back checkers are safe and free Blue to build against White’s loose checkers on Blue’s 1 and 2 points. Making Blue’s own 4 point with 8/4 6/4 leaves both blots in White’s board, where White has many ways to hit or point on them. It loses 0.027 equity, an ERROR.

Blue should contain White’s back checkers rather than race. Blue trails by 18 pips, 166 to 148, holds the 6 and 7 points and an anchor on White’s 3 point, and has a blot on the 4 point, while White holds Blue’s 1 point with a third checker on the 5 point. Blue plays Bar/24 8/4, entering with the 1 and covering the blot to make the 4 point, so Blue holds the 4, 6 and 7 points against three White checkers. The more back checkers White has, the more each blocking point is worth, and the new point also shelters Blue’s back checkers. Blots remain on the 8 and 24 points, but White’s two-point inner board keeps the risk low. Running with Bar/20 leaves the 4 point blot in front of White’s anchor. It loses 0.123 equity, a BLUNDER.

Blue should pursue containment while strengthening the defense of the back checkers. Blue trails by 3 pips, 158 to 155, and has blots on the 24, 18 and 10 points, and White’s builders bear on both back blots, so Blue cannot make both safe this turn. Blue plays 8/5(2) 6/3(2), making the 5 and 3 points so that Blue holds the 3, 5 and 6 points against White’s anchor on Blue’s 1 point. The 5 point is the point Blue wants most, and a stronger inner board has defensive value as well, because a White checker hit later would face three points, so White must attack the back blots with more care. The 8 point becomes a blot, but only White’s anchor checkers can reach it. Making the 3 and 10 points with 18/15 13/10 6/3(2) leaves the 5 point unmade. It loses 0.075 equity, an ERROR.

Blue should prime White’s back checkers rather than attack immediately. Blue leads by 3 pips, 142 to 145, has both checkers on the bar against White’s three-point board, and holds the 4, 6 and 8 points, while White has blots on Blue’s 1 and 2 points and on the 23 point. Blue plays Bar/24(2) 6/5(2), entering both checkers and making the 5 point, so Blue holds the 4, 5, 6 and 8 points with no Blue blot anywhere. A hit from the bar would send that third checker back a long way, but it costs Blue the 5 point, and White enters easily against a two-point board. Blue makes the 5 point first, and any later hit is stronger for it. Bar/24 Bar/23* 23/22 loses 0.058 equity, an ERROR, and Bar/23*(2) loses 0.096 equity, a BLUNDER.

Blue should prepare an attack rather than hit before the inner board is ready. The race is level, 147 to 149, and Blue holds the 4, 6 and 8 points with an anchor on White’s 3 point, while White has blots on Blue’s 1 and 7 points and already holds the 19, 20 and 21 points. Blue plays 8/2 6/2, making the 2 point for a three-point inner board with no Blue blot anywhere. The 2 point is a deep point, but here it beats a hit on the bar point, which gains few pips and leaves a blot facing a return shot while a hit Blue checker would face White’s three-point board. Blue’s checkers on the 13 point still bear on the 7 point, so the hit can come later. Hitting with 13/7* 8/4 loses 0.036 equity, an ERROR. Hitting with 13/7* 7/3 loses 0.107 equity, a BLUNDER.