Breaking or keeping contact

This is a general rule: Whenever you have a big racing lead try to break contact completely and avoid a blot-hitting-contest. Try to transform the game into a race where you are a solid favorite. The opposite is true, when you are a dog in the race. In this type of positions you should try to maximize contact, simply because your chances in a pure race are to slim. Your best chance to win these games is to hit an opponent checker and catch up in the race. This is really such an important rule and sometimes very difficult to achieve, but again in general: Whenever you are a big underdog to win a pure race try to maximize contact and welcome a blot hitting contest. Try to transform the game into a complicated struggle with multiple holdings and or blot-hitting contest. If you are down in the race, this is your best chance to win the game.

The following examples show both principles. In both positions black can either clear the enemys bar point with the 4-4 or keep it while building his inner board. The decisive factor is the race. Black is ahead in the race by 8 pips and he will be a overhelming favorite in a pure race after his 4-4, so it is right by a wide margin to clear the enemies bar point and run to make this a pure race.

Black is trailing the race by 31 pips and even after the 4-4 a big underdog in a pure race. It is clear by a huge margin to keep the enemies bar point (contact!). Hope for a later shot while building the inner board in case black is lucky enough to get and hit a shot.