MATCH ANALYSISSplit or Slot: The Opening's Oldest Argument
Fifty years of debate over 4-3 and 2-1 — what the bots settled and what they didn't.
Archive Analysis · Advanced
Opening roll · 6-4
6-4 — Split or Build
Best play: 24/18 13/9 or 8/2 6/2
The first genuinely arguable opening. Split to the bar point, or start the 2-point early.
CHARACTER · THE FIRST REAL DECISION
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This opening roll, explained.
MATCH ANALYSISPlayers
Who made it theirs.
ISRAEL / USAMatvey “Falafel” Natanzon
1968–2020 · Pure feel for the game
The most beloved player of the modern era — self-taught on a beach in Tel Aviv, world number one, and the heart of every room he entered.
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