Replies to Opening Moves

Our article on opening moves covers the 15 rolls that can start a game. This one deals with the second turn: you lost the opening roll, your opponent has moved, and now you must answer.

After each of the 15 openings there are 21 different reply rolls, so there are 315 combinations in all. You do not need to learn them one by one. A few clear principles cover almost all of them, and only the doubles, which appear for the first time on the reply, need special attention.

The basic principle

With a non-double, play your reply much as you would play the same roll as an opening move, with one important exception: if your roll lets you hit a blot your opponent has left, consider hitting first. Early hits are strong because they cost the opponent time and take away half of their next roll, which must be used to enter.

• A hit in your outer board or on a high home-board point is usually right.
• Hitting twice, if the dice allow it, is often very strong.
• A hit deep in your home board, on your 1- or 2-point, is less attractive, because it puts checkers out of play. Good players weigh it against the normal opening play.
• If the opponent has slotted their 5-point and you can hit it with a back checker, that is almost always correct.

Also look at what the opponent's move changed. If they have made a new point, some of your usual splits may be weaker; if they have split their back checkers, your builders have more targets to attack.

As always, moves are written from the mover's point of view in standard notation.

Playing the doubles

6-6

The usual play is 24/18(2) 13/7(2), making both bar points: your opponent's and your own. If your opponent has already made their bar point, so your 18-point is blocked, a common choice is to make your own bar point and your 2-point with 13/7(2) 8/2(2) instead.

5-5

Fives cannot move your back checkers past the midpoint, so this roll is played on your side of the board. The standard play is 8/3(2) 6/1(2), making two home-board points. If your opponent has split and left a back checker alone on your ace point, the same play hits it, which makes it even stronger. Making the 3-point with 13/3(2) is the main alternative.

4-4

If a hit is available, for example on a blot your opponent has slotted or split into your board, look at hitting first and using the other fours to make a point. Without a hit, two strong standard plays are 24/20(2) 13/9(2), which makes an advanced anchor and a builder point, and 13/5(2), which makes your 5-point.

3-3

Again check for a good hit first. Otherwise 8/5(2) 6/3(2), making your 5-point and 3-point, is usually best. Moving up to the 21-point with 24/21(2) and making the 10-point or another point with the other threes is a sound alternative in some positions.

2-2

The normal play is 13/11(2) 6/4(2), making your 4-point and a builder point. If your opponent slotted their 5-point, hit it with a back checker using two of the twos, 24/20*, and make your 4-point with 6/4(2).

1-1

The standard play is 8/7(2) 6/5(2), making your bar point and your 5-point in one turn. If your opponent has split a back checker onto one of those points, the same play may hit it. If they have split to your 4-point instead, consider a play that hits there, such as 6/4*(2), which also makes the point.

Summary

• Non-doubles: play the normal opening move unless a good hit is available.
• Doubles: make the most valuable points, starting with the 5-point and bar points.
• Always check for a hit on a slotted 5-point.

After the first two rolls the game opens up, and principles take over from memorized moves. Continue with Early Game Strategy.