Backgammon Opening Moves

The opening is the most disciplined phase of a backgammon game. Because the first move is made with the two single dice rolled to decide who starts, it can never be a double, so there are only 15 possible opening rolls. Strong computer programs such as GNU Backgammon and eXtreme Gammon have analyzed every one of them, and for most rolls there is one clearly best play. For a few, two or three plays are so close that the choice is a matter of style.

All moves below are written from the mover's point of view in standard backgammon notation. Opening plays fall into three groups: rolls that make a point, rolls that split or bring down builders, and rolls that run a back checker.

Point-making rolls

Four rolls let you make a new point in or near your home board at once. These are the strongest starts in the game.

3-1: 8/5 6/5

The best opening roll. It makes your 5-point, the most valuable point on the board early in the game. The 5-point blocks the opponent's back checkers, gives a hit checker one less place to enter, and is a perfect landing spot for your own checkers later. Nothing else comes close.

4-2: 8/4 6/4

Makes your 4-point. It is almost as strong as 3-1 for the same reasons: a home-board point that blocks and makes entering harder.

6-1: 13/7 8/7

Makes your bar point. Together with your 6-point and 8-point this gives three points in a row, the start of a prime that makes it hard for the opponent's back checkers to escape.

5-3: 8/3 6/3

Makes your 3-point. It is deeper and less valuable than the 4- or 5-point, but a new home-board point is still a good start.

Splitting and building rolls

When you cannot make a point, you usually do two things: bring a checker down from the midpoint as a builder, and move one back checker forward to start working on an advanced anchor. Both moves leave blots, but early in the game a hit costs little and the extra flexibility is worth the risk.

6-3: 24/18 13/10

Steps up to the opponent's bar point and brings a builder to the 10-point. Running 24/15 is a close alternative.

6-2: 24/18 13/11

The same idea as 6-3, with the builder on the 11-point. Plays such as 13/5 are clearly weaker.

5-4: 24/20 13/8

Splits to the opponent's 5-point, the best anchor you can make, and brings a safe checker to the 8-point. Bringing two builders down with 13/8 13/9 is nearly as good.

5-2: 13/11 13/8

Two checkers come down from the midpoint, one of them to safety. The split 24/22 13/8 is a very close second.

5-1: 24/23 13/8

A safe five to the 8-point and a small split with the one. Slotting with 13/8 6/5 is a reasonable alternative but rates slightly lower.

4-1: 24/23 13/9

A builder to the 9-point and a small split. Again the slot 13/9 6/5 is playable but slightly behind.

2-1: 13/11 6/5 or 24/23 13/11

The slot of the 5-point and the split are practically equal. Slotting aims to cover the 5-point next turn; splitting keeps the game quieter.

A note on older advice: books from before the bot era often recommended slotting the 5-point with 4-1 and 5-1 as well. Computer analysis showed that the split is better with those two rolls, while with 2-1 the slot remains fully playable.

4-3: 24/20 13/10, 13/10 13/9 or 24/21 13/9

Three plays are close here. Splitting to the 20-point with a builder, bringing two builders down, or a smaller split with a builder all rate nearly the same.

3-2: 24/21 13/11 or 13/11 13/10

Both are good. The split prepares an anchor on the opponent's 4-point; the double builder play aims to make a key point next turn.

Running rolls

6-5: 24/13

Known as Lover's Leap, this runs one back checker all the way to the midpoint, where it is safe. Escaping a back checker without leaving a blot behind is too good to pass up.

6-4: 24/18 13/9, 8/2 6/2 or 24/14

This is the classic close call. Splitting with a builder, making the 2-point, and running to the 14-point are all within a very small margin. Making the 2-point gives up some flexibility but takes a home point at once; the split and the run keep the structure lighter.

Quick reference table

Learn the point-making and running rolls first, then the rest. Next, see how to answer your opponent's first move in Replies to Opening Moves, and what to aim for over the next few turns in Early Game Strategy.