Backgammon First Move
At the beggining of the backgammon game a dice roll determines each player’s position. The player with the highest total will take the first turn. If players score the same total, the dice are rolled again until a clear winner emerges. Strategic thinking begins in this stage. There are only 15 possible opening rolls posibles. Here you'll find recommended moves based on opening rolls on backgammon pips 1-24. In order to represent a checker moving from the 14th point to the 8th, we will call it 14/8.
Opening Roll: 6-5
A five or six on the starting roll gives the player a clear advantage if it is used correctly. This move is dubbed the “Lover’s Leap” as it allows you to move one of your back checkers to your mid point away from your opponent’s home board (24/13).
Opening Roll: 6-4
When rolling a six and a four there are three possible moves to make:
One option is to make two separate moves (8/6, 6/2). This move is particularly popular when playing online backgammon.
Your second option is to adopt an aggressive strategy and use the six you’ve rolled to achieve the 24/18 move which will slot your opponent’s bar point. The four you’ve rolled can be used to create a builder at point 13/9. While this can seem risky, it sets up your checkers to create blocking points for your next roll. And if you’re lucky enough to roll another six on your next turn, you can anchor your opponent’s 19 or seven point.
Your final choice should only be used as a last resort. You can move your checker to your home board or 24/14. This move may save your checker but it lacks in value and is played only in single games.
Opening Roll: 6-3
If you’re feeling bold, you can use this opening roll to move your checkers 24/18 and 13/10. This allows you to create a builder which can help you with the setting up of prime and blocking points as your game progresses. This move can also help to cushion your checker on the 18th point if it is hit. Many new backgammon players use the safer strategy which is moving 24/18 for safe and risk-free game. Some may decide to continue the move to the 15th point, which is less effective than moving your checker 13/10.
Opening Roll: 6-2
By rolling a six and a two you can move 24/18 to attack the bar point belonging to your opponent. Most players new to backgammon may use the total to move a back checker to the 16 point. However, attacking your opponent by creating a builder at 13/11 to block any of his future attempts to make a prime is a far more effective strategy.
Opening Roll: 6-1
If you want to create a larger prime and a blocking point to prevent your opponent from moving his checkers back toward his home board, you can make a bar point, or a seven point as it is otherwise known. If the dice show a six and a one, this is the best move you can make.
Opening Roll: 5-4
Your first move if you roll a five and a four is to move your checker 13/8. This will enable you to create blocking points in your area. By moving 24/20 and setting up a move persipitets the creation of an anchor in your opponent’s territory. This move gives you a sound basis for attacking your opponent on either side of the backgammon board. If you need a gammon, you can avoid splitting up your back checkers by substituting the move 13/8 with 13/9.
Opening Roll: 5-3
The best possible moves for this opening roll is 8/3 and 6/3. This might be the strongest position for this roll.
Opening Roll: 5-2
If you roll a five and a two, the move recommended by many experts is to drop one checker from the mid-point, thereby splitting your back checkers. This allows an aggressive strategy later in the game, by 13/8 and 24/22. It also sets up the 22 point to act as an anchor in your opponent’s home board.
If you favor adopting an even more aggressive stance at this stage in the game, you could use the five and two to drop two checkers from your mid-point. This startegy might help you to gain more gammons. If opponent manages to evacuate his back checkers he might still evade your attack.
Opening Roll: 5-1
In backgammon computer simulations this move has pruven to be a good one. If you move your 13/8 and 24/23, it might help you prepare your back checkers to be used as an anchor. Using the 1 roll to move 6/5 helps gain one gammon.
Opening Roll: 4-3
When rolling a four and a three there are three available choices. The best one is determined by the strategy chosen and the game performance up until now.
13/9 and 13/10 should be considered first. This will increase your attacking potential and more than makes up for the fact that you’ve decreased your mid-point by losing two checkers. As long as your opponent does not hit you, the following roll might help begin a prime.
A more balanced attack is offered by the 13/9 and 24/21 move. An anchor slot might be created with the 24/21. Using this move at opening rolls is widely thought to help win single games more often when gammons are not an issue.
Thirdly, you can use the rolls to move 24/20 and 13.10. Not as agresive in it's strategy, yet this move is used a lot by backgammon newbies two moves. The objective is to make an anchor on you'r opponent's five point.
Opening Roll: 4-2
The best move when you roll 4 and 2 is to send two of your checkers to the four point on your home board. This is a blocking move and one of the most common adopted by new players.
Opening Roll: 4-1
Rolling a four and a one for opening rolls gives you two options. The first is 13/9 and 24/23, which effectively allows you to plan a quick escape for your back checkers. “Drop and Split” is the comun name given to this move. Or you could slot home board’s five point, at the same time that you place a building on your nine point. This move (13/9 and 6/5) is an offensive one with the aim of generating home board points in your next turn.
Opening Roll: 3-2
If you roll a three and a two, you have two possible moves recommended for opening rolls. You should choose one according to the game's score and on your opponent’s backgammon skills.
The first move (13/10 and 13.11) is the most aggressive and is recommended if you want to keep your opponent firmly under pressure. It set up a blocking point that can be finished next roll.
An alternative move is to split and drop, which sets up a blocking point 13/11. A back checker moved 24/21 provides the first steps to creating an anchor in your opponent’s board.
Opening Roll: 3-1
By moving 8/5 and 6/5 you gain control of your home board. While being able to use the five point as priming and blocking point, you also cut off the escape route of your opponent. This is a highly popular move as both the bar point (seven) and the five point are valuable areas of the board to have control over.
Opening Roll: 2-1
When rolling 2 and 1 you can move 13/11 and 6/5 to slot your home board five point. Your next turn can be used to start the building of a prime on your home board, as long as your opponent does not hit you.
You can also move 13/11 and 24/23. A much safer move. New players often favor this move for its simple use in single games where gammons and backgammons are not a crucial issue.
Mid Backgammon Game Strategy Moves