Path to Victory

You’re the underdog here. You could simply make your anchor and bide your time (with 23/22 8/2), make the anchor and start a point (23/22 10/4 or 13/7), escape the tricky 5-prime (23/16 or 22/15), or build your own prime to block White (either 13/7 8/7 or 10/4 5/4). Each has benefits and risks, and seem to offer different routes to victory. You’re behind in the race but not by much, and your own prime could quickly start to look quite menacing. Which is the right move?

The clear and only answer is 23/22 8/2. 5-primes are so strong both because they’re hard to escape, and because they can turn into a strong blitzing position (or a still-strong 4-prime) when you don’t have an anchor. 23/22 is essential. Once you have the anchor you don’t want to send another checker home and worsen your race, and the reality is your timing won’t work to make White crunch. Better to focus on building a board and hoping to hit White when they leave the anchor.

Sometimes burying a checker is the right option.