Opponent’s options: YO, n1 parallels, column L plays
Candidate plays: PLOW, DAWN, LAWN, WO, BOWL
Potential plays on next turn: Bingos in rows 12/14, through your play or opponent’s play, ER in row 3, or through the S in column o.

Subgoal: Maximize your chances of blocking and overtaking your opponent despite their obvious intentions to block.

Resolution: Many people are far too eager to attempt to play a bingo in Puzzle 24. However, there are already bingo openings, and with a blank in hand, trying to further open the board is not necessary or practical, as you are likely to make it easier for your opponent to close the board quickly. Plays like PLOW l9 (18) may seem to help you open the board but actually make the board more closed as your opponent can block fairly easily.

The best play is DAWN, allowing you a solid bingo leave with several draws. With a 2 vowel draw, the L will prove extremely valuable to help you play a bingo, perhaps even a triple-triple bingo with plays such as ISOLATES or OSTIOLES.