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Best Backgammon Opening Moves

Here's the good news: the opening is the one part of backgammon where the bots all agree on the right play. For each of the 15 possible opening rolls, there's a best move, and it's the same whether you're playing for pennies or in a world championship final.

That doesn't mean you should just memorize a chart and move on. Understanding why each move is strongest helps you make better decisions for the rest of the game. And once you know these 15 moves, you'll feel more confident from the very first roll.

The Basics of the Opening Roll

Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first, using both dice. Doubles can't occur on the opening roll because each player contributes one die. This creates 15 distinct opening rolls (all combinations of two different numbers from 1 to 6).

The notation works like this: "3-1" means you rolled a 3 and a 1 on the dice. "8/5" means move a checker from the 8-point to the 5-point. Each dice roll tells you which numbers to play, and the notation tells you which checkers move where.

The "Big 5": The Best Opening Moves

The strongest opening rolls are the ones that immediately make a new point. A made point is permanent structure: it blocks the opponent and gives you a safe landing spot for future moves. Picture this: you roll 3-1 on the very first turn, and just like that, you own the most valuable real estate on the board. That's the kind of head start these rolls give you.

Dice roll 3-1: Make the 5-Point (8/5, 6/5)

The best opening roll in backgammon. The 5-point is the most valuable point on the board. Making it immediately gives you a strong home board anchor and blocks the opponent's back checkers.

Dice roll 6-1: Make the Bar Point (13/7, 8/7)

The bar point (7-point) connects your outer board to your home board. Making it starts a potential prime and blocks the opponent from escaping with a 6.

Dice roll 4-2: Make the 4-Point (8/4, 6/4)

Less valuable than the golden point or bar point, but still a made point. It strengthens the home board and contributes to a future prime.

Dice roll 5-3: Make the 3-Point (8/3, 6/3)

The weakest of the point-making openings. The 3-point is deep in your home board, which makes it less useful for blocking in the early game. Still better than most non-point-making alternatives.

Dice roll 6-5: Lover's Leap (24/13)

Not a point-making move, but the best use of a large roll. Running one back checker all the way to the midpoint escapes it from danger in one move. This classic opening is called the Lover's Leap because it leaps a back runner to safety in a single bound.

Strategic Concepts: Splitting vs. Slotting

For the remaining 10 rolls, the debate centres on two approaches:

Splitting the back runners: moving one of your back checkers forward (usually from the 24-point to the opponent's 4 or 5-point). This diversifies your position and fights for an anchor in the opponent's board. Splitting is the safer approach and creates more future options.

Slotting the 5-point (or another key point): moving a checker to a point you want to make, even though it leaves a blot. If you cover it next turn, you've made a valuable point. If you get hit, you lose a tempo. Slotting is the more aggressive alternative and works best when you're willing to accept a hit in exchange for a shot at making a strong point.

The bots all agree: splitting is usually the better choice. It's lower risk and creates more options. The trade-off is real though: keeping all your checkers bunched on safe points feels secure, but it wastes development. Splitting puts your checkers where they can actually fight for key territory.

How to Play the "Other" Common Rolls

Split-and-Down Rolls (dice rolls 2-1, 4-1, 5-1)

Split one of your back checkers forward (usually to the opponent's 4 or 5-point) and bring a builder down from the midpoint. This fights on two fronts at once: escaping the back and developing the front.

Two-Way Moves (dice rolls 3-2, 4-3, 5-2, 5-4)

These rolls offer moves that advance a back checker and bring a builder into your outer board. Some give you a choice between splitting and slotting. The bots tend to lean toward splitting for most of them.

Running Rolls (dice rolls 6-4, 6-3, 6-2)

The large die number suggests running. A 6-4 escapes a back checker all the way to the opponent's outer board. A 6-3 and 6-2 typically use the 6 to run and the smaller number to develop a builder.

Understanding opening replies (your response to the opponent's first move) follows the same logic. The principles of splitting, slotting, and point-making apply on your second turn too, with the added information of where the opponent placed their checkers.

Backgammon Opening Rolls Chart (Cheat Sheet)

A reference for all 15 opening rolls, grouped by type:

Point-making rolls

• Dice roll 3-1: 8/5, 6/5 (make the 5-point)
• Dice roll 4-2: 8/4, 6/4 (make the 4-point)
• Dice roll 6-1: 13/7, 8/7 (make the bar point)
• Dice roll 5-3: 8/3, 6/3 (make the 3-point)

Action rolls (splitting and developing)

• Dice roll 6-5: 24/13 (Lover's Leap)
• Dice roll 2-1: 13/11, 24/23
• Dice roll 4-1: 13/9, 24/23
• Dice roll 5-1: 13/8, 24/23
• Dice roll 3-2: 13/11, 24/21
• Dice roll 4-3: 13/10, 24/20
• Dice roll 5-2: 13/11, 24/22
• Dice roll 5-4: 13/8, 24/20

Running rolls

• Dice roll 6-4: 24/14
• Dice roll 6-3: 24/15
• Dice roll 6-2: 24/18, 13/11

Opening Strategy: Money Play vs. Match Play

The standard moves listed above are correct for money play. In match play, the match score can shift your priorities. When you need a gammon (known as a gammon-go situation), aggressive plays like slotting become more attractive because the extra risk is worth the chance at double points. When you need to avoid being gammoned (a gammon-save situation), safe plays gain value. For most situations, the standard openings remain correct.