But that is just the nature of this game.

Black minds his own business with a quiet 52s opening. Black just wants to trade his anchor, buy a used car with not a lot miles or options on it. Win this game without a fuss.

Suddenly she hits loose. Without warning, White hits the black blot, a pedestrian blot with the temerity to advance a couple pips into White’s turf. White hits from her midpoint. 13/3*

Not to be outdone, Black hits back from the bar. Short-lived reprisal. White does the same, enters and hits. Black punches again. Harder. With jabs tossed in. Then White fires again, both roundhouse and overhand. Now everyone gets involved. A donnybrook. Blot-hitting contest.

Black anchors. In a good location too. Black calmly considers the timing of his new holding game. The pace looks fine. Meanwhile, White assesses her prospects of playing a surprise running game. New to it all, a young high anchor can be startled and overwhelmed by an early race, boldly and precisely executed. As a waiting game slowly ages into a maturing anchor, Black builds strength at home, preparing for that fatal shot. Successful runs strike early among young anchors.

Black has needs on the home front. Powerful friends for Black, shamelessly flattered and coddled, act as backup for a mature anchor. Their only demand: Review the game plan now.

A young anchor or a mature anchor? Plan the actions accordingly.

So White runs. Her plan includes counting shots assiduously and minimizing risk. Squeeze that last drop of tactical advantage from each roll. Protect those runners by guile and obsessive attention to detail.

If a white blot is to be hit, it is best hit early. A young anchor cannot brag about his home board; the anchor has no powerful friends yet. A white checker dancing on the bar has an easy return to the game. Even so, Black’s 8pt now grows in prominence. A journeyman’s time to shine, the 8pt is in attack mode.

As White hurries her runners home, Black muses over whether an early hit is better, or whether to save the celebration and fanfare by hitting a white blot very late in the game. In fact, Black would rejoice after any white dancer. Hitting late almost guarantees the win and clarifies the game plan, gambling all or nothing. Hitting early once or twice or thrice with White shedding pips upon each assault helps promote Black’s gradual reversal by morphing the plan into a close race, to White’s chagrin. Black then has only the jackals in reserve.

Just the nature of the game.