Making Your Opening Moves in Backgammon

You should become familiar with the opening moves as you study backgammon basics. It is easy to make mistakes in the opening and ruin the rest of your game. We have below the correct opening moves for each of the combinations you can make in the opening roll.

You can classify the opening moves into three different categories. Each category of opening moves has its own strategic benefits. The first category is a running play, which means you escape a back checker with the huge numbers you get in the opening. The second category is split play, which means you split your back checkers and leave blots in order to secure strategic positions later in the game. The third category is point making, which are openings that allow you to make points at the very start of the game.

Here are the opening moves that run a checker to safety.

6-4 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 6-4 is to play 24/14.

6-5 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 6-5 is to play 24/13.

Here are the split plays:

6-3 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 6-3 is to play 24/18 13/10. The idea behind this opening move is to make the 18-point.

6-2 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 6-2 is to play 24/18 13/11. Like the 6-3, the idea behind this opening move is to make the 18-point.

5-1 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 5-1 is to play 13/8 24/23.

4-1 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 4-1 is to play 13/9 24/23.

2-1 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 2-1 is to play 13/11 24/23.

5-4 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 5-4 is to play 13/8 24/20.

5-2 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 5-2 is to play 13/8 24/22.

4-3 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening moves for the 4-3 is either to play 13/9 24/21 or to play 24/20 13/10.

3-2 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening moves for the 3-2 is either to play 24/21 13/11 or 13/10 13/11.

Here are the opening moves that allow you to make points:

3-1 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 3-1 is to play 8/5 6/5. You are also making a home board point that will become useful later as the game progresses.

4-2 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 4-2 is to play 8/4 6/4. The four-point isn't as strategically valuable as the five-point. Your opponent's checkers will find it easier to jump over the four-point than the five-point.

6-1 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 6-1 is to play 13/7 8/7.

5-3 Backgammon Opening: The correct opening move for the 5-3 is to play 8/3 6/3. Take time to become fully familiar with each of the opening moves. These are essential parts of backgammon basics.

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