Backgammon 3-2 opening: the best move
Rolled 3-2 on the opening roll? This is the best move according to the strongest analysis programs in the world:
24/21 13/11
Two plays are almost equal: split a back checker to the 21 point and bring one down to the 11 point (24/21 13/11), or bring two checkers down from the midpoint (13/11 13/10). The difference is too small to feel in a game.
All the good moves, best first
| Move | Chance to win | Gammon wins | Behind the best |
|---|---|---|---|
24/21 13/11 | 50.1% | 14.1% | — |
13/11 13/10 | 49.8% | 15.5% | −0.008 |
24/22 13/10 | 49.8% | 13.9% | −0.015 |
13/11 8/5 | 49.1% | 14.8% | −0.045 |
GNU Backgammon ranks 13/11 13/10 first, and the difference is tiny.
The numbers: eXtreme Gammon (XG) rollouts, money play with the doubling cube. "Behind the best" is how much a move loses compared with the best one, in fractions of a point; less than 0.02 is barely noticeable.
Practice
The best way to learn openings is in a real game: against the computer you get a hint every turn, and an analysis of every move at the end.