Here it is best to split the anchor with a move like 22/21 13/11!

I don't think I've seen this before. Although it resembles the so-called "amoeba" plays in Michy's endgame book, I usually think of those as occurring much later in the endgame than this position.

Splitting attacks the checker on White's 10 point. The responses 61, 65, 66 leave a shot. Otherwise, White has to spend the next roll defending that 10-point checker instead of building the home board with those stacks on the 8,7,6 points, which White really wants to do. Pointing on Black's head doesn't work because of the return shot on the 2 point. So White can only build an additional point on the next roll if it involves moving the checker on the 10 point. If you don't split, then so many rolls (21 31 32 etc.) will build another point.

This depends crucially on the blot on the 2 point. If you move a White checker from the 6 point to the 2 point, then this splitting move doesn't work because White can point on Black's head with a lot of rolls, and there are a lot fewer return shots (and it's a 3 point board instead of a 2 point board).

Well, I hope you found that as interesting as I did.

Yep, easy play to miss if you’re on auto-pilot!

And nice explantation of the play, btw.

I take it the result might be very different with the cube in play?