Backgammon opening moves
The first move affects the whole game. In the table: the best move for each opening roll, according to our computer's deep analysis, which we checked against GNU Backgammon. They agree on 13 of the 15 rolls, and on the other two the difference is negligible.
How to read it: the numbers are from your direction. 24 is the farthest point, where your two back checkers sit; 13 is the midpoint; 8 and 6 are next to and in your home. "13/9" means move a checker from 13 to 9.
| Rolling | Move | Idea | Good alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-5 | 24/13 | Running: a back checker escapes to the midpoint | 24/18 13/8 |
| 6-4 | 24/18 13/9 | Start freeing a back checker and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/14 or 8/2 6/2 |
| 6-3 | 24/18 13/10 | Like 6-4 | 24/15 |
| 6-2 | 24/18 13/11 | Like 6-4 | 24/16 |
| 6-1 | 13/7 8/7 | Close the 7 point, the start of a wall | — |
| 5-4 | 24/20 13/8 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/15 |
| 5-3 | 8/3 6/3 | Close a point in your home | 24/21 13/8 |
| 5-2 | 24/22 13/8 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 13/11 13/8 |
| 5-1 | 24/23 13/8 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/18 |
| 4-3 | 24/21 13/9 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/20 13/10 |
| 4-2 | 8/4 6/4 | Close a point in your home | — |
| 4-1 | 24/23 13/9 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/20 24/23 |
| 3-2 | 24/21 13/11 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/22 13/10 |
| 3-1 | 8/5 6/5 | Close the 5 point, the most important one in your home | — |
| 2-1 | 24/23 13/11 | Split in the back and bring one down from the midpoint | 24/21 |
When the first roll is doubles
Under the "winner rolls again" custom, the first roll can be doubles. "(2)" means two checkers in the same move.
| Rolling | Move | Good alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Double sixes | 24/18(2) 13/7(2) | — |
| Double fives (5-5) | 13/3(2) | — |
| 4-4 | 24/20(2) 13/9(2) | — |
| Double threes (3-3) | 24/21(2) 13/10(2) | 8/5(2) 6/3(2) |
| 2-2 | 13/11(2) 6/4(2) | 24/22(2) 6/4(2) |
| 1-1 | 24/22 6/5(2) | 8/7(2) 6/5(2) |
Want to see what the computer would play at any moment in the game? Against the computer there's a "💡 Hint" every turn.