Backgammon Openings - Fundamental Principles
Alright folks, gather ‘round the virtual checkerboard. Today, I’m diving into the bewildering world of Backgammon openings. You know, that first roll where you stare at the dice, then at the board, then back at the dice, hoping for divine intervention? Yeah, that one.
I’m no grandmaster, but I’ve played enough games to get smacked around by bad openings and occasionally stumble into good ones. So, I figured I’d share what I’ve picked up, what the “experts” say, and maybe what actually happens when the dice decide to mess with you.
Why Bother Stressing About the First Move?
Indeed. Sometimes it feels like the dice are just gonna do what they want anyway, right? But apparently, that first move can actually set the stage. What I try (operative word: try) to achieve with an opening roll, when the dice cooperate, is usually one of these things:
- Grab Some Prime Real Estate: Snagging important points early (like the 5-point, 4-point, or that crucial 7-point/bar point) can really cramp your opponent’s style later. Feels good, man.
- Bust Out the Back Checkers: Getting those two poor souls stranded on the opponent’s 1-point (your 24-point) moving early feels essential. Leaving them there is basically asking for them to get trapped behind a monstrous prime. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (it says “I Hate Primes”).
- Start Building ‘The Wall’: Laying the groundwork for a prime (a sequence of blocked points) can make you feel like a strategic genius… until your opponent rolls the one number they need to escape. Sigh.
Decoding the Dice: My Take on the 15 Opening Rolls
So, you roll the dice. What now? Here’s my breakdown of the usual suspects, based on standard wisdom and my own occasional flashes of competence. Standard notation applies (point 1 is your innermost, 24 is theirs).
The Glorious Doubles
Rolling doubles first feels like winning the lottery… or stepping on a landmine. Handle with care!
1. 1-1 (Snake Eyes):
- The Play: 8/7(2), 6/5(2)
- The Why: Bam! You instantly make your bar-point (7) AND your 5-point. This is considered super strong. Feels like cheating, but isn’t.
1 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 |BAR| 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
2. 2-2 (Double Deuce):
- The Play: 24/22(2), 13/11(2)
- The Why: A sensible start. Gets the back checkers moving a bit and advances from the midpoint. Doesn’t scream “I WIN!” but doesn’t scream “I’m an idiot!” either. Flexible.
3. 3-3:
- The Play: 8/5(2), 6/3(2)
- The Why: Makes your 5-point and 3-point. Very nice for building that home board fortress. Aggressive, constructive, makes you look like you know what you’re doing. (Alternative: 13/10(x2) & 24/21(x2) is less committal).
4. 4-4:
- The Play: 24/20(2), 13/9(2)
- The Why: Gets those back checkers out to a safer spot (20) and sets up shop on the 9-point. Solid development.
5. 5-5:
- The Play: 13/8(2), 13/8(2) (Effectively: 13/3(2))
- The Why: Instantly makes your 3-point. Very powerful home-board building. Hard to argue with this one. (Running with 24/14 is another option if you feel brave).
6. 6-6 (Boxcars!):
- The Play: 24/18(2), 13/7(2)
- The Why: Run one back checker halfway home (18) AND make the bar point (7). Feels fantastic and dynamic. Probably the best roll to start with, don’t @ me.
1 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 |BAR| 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
The Humble Singles (Where Most Games Begin)
Okay, back to reality. Most of the time, you get these.
(Reminder: 3-1 is played like 1-3, 6-2 like 2-6, etc.)
7. 3-1:
- The Play: 8/5
- The Why: Makes the 5-point. Simple, elegant, strong. Often called the best non-double opening. Hard to go wrong here.
8. 4-1:
- The Play: 24/23, 13/9
- The Why: Little step for the back checker, bigger step for the mid checker towards potentially useful territory. Sensible.
9. 5-1:
- The Play: 13/8, 24/23
- The Why: Claims the defensive 8-point anchor and nudges a back checker. Safe, solid.
1 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 |BAR| 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
10. 6-1:
- The Play: 13/7, 24/23
- The Why: Makes the bar-point (7) and develops the back checker. Very respectable opening. Feels secure.
11. 4-2:
- The Play: 8/4
- The Why: Makes the 4-point. Great for building that home board. (Alternative: 24/20 is also okay if you prefer running).
12. 5-2:
- The Play: 13/8, 24/22
- The Why: Grabs the 8-point and develops a back checker a bit further than 5-1. Logical.
13. 6-2:
- The Play: 24/18
- The Why: Just run, baby! Gets a back checker out to the 18-point. A pure racing move. Bold, slightly risky, depends if you’re feeling lucky.
14. 3-2:
- The Play: 24/21, 13/11
- The Why: Develops both a back and a mid checker. A bit scattered maybe, but perfectly fine.
15. 4-3:
- The Play: 13/10, 13/9
- The Why: Brings two builders down from the midpoint. Sets up potential points later. Flexible. (Alternative: 24/20, 13/10 focuses more on escape).
1 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 |BAR| 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
16. 5-3:
- The Play: 8/3
- The Why: Makes the 3-point. Another strong home-board building move. Feels good.
17. 6-3:
- The Play: 24/18, 13/10
- The Why: Combination of running (24/18) and developing (13/10). Tries to do a bit of everything.
18. 5-4:
- The Play: 13/9, 13/8
- The Why: Brings down two builders, potentially making the 8 or 9 point next turn. Solid development. (Alternative: 24/20, 13/8 mixes running and defence).
19. 6-4:
- The Play: 8/2
- The Why: Makes the 2-point. Deep in your home board, very strong defensively. (Alternative: 24/18 is the running play).
20. 6-5 (Lover’s Leap!):
- The Play: 24/13
- The Why: Woosh! One back checker runs all the way to the midpoint in a single bound. Pure running play. Exciting! (And sometimes leaves you exposed, but hey, no guts, no glory?)
1 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 |BAR| 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
Quick Reference Cheat Sheet (Because My Memory is Terrible)
Okay, that was a lot. Here’s the quick n’ dirty table for when your brain freezes (like mine often does):
| Dice Roll | My Go-To Move(s) | The Gist |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | 8/7(2), 6/5(2) | Make Bar & 5-points (Yay!) |
| 2-2 | 24/22(2), 13/11(2) | Develop sensibly |
| 3-3 | 8/5(2), 6/3(2) | Make 5 & 3-points (Sweet!) |
| 4-4 | 24/20(2), 13/9(2) | Develop & spread out |
| 5-5 | 13/8(2) -> 3pt | Make 3-point (Very Nice!) |
| 6-6 | 24/18(2), 13/7(2) | Run & make Bar point (Awesome!) |
| 3-1 | 8/5 | Make 5-point (Golden!) |
| 4-1 | 24/23, 13/9 | Develop moderately |
| 5-1 | 13/8, 24/23 | Make 8-point & nudge back |
| 6-1 | 13/7, 24/23 | Make Bar point & nudge back |
| 4-2 | 8/4 | Make 4-point (Solid) |
| 5-2 | 13/8, 24/22 | Make 8-point & develop back more |
| 6-2 | 24/18 | Run! |
| 3-2 | 24/21, 13/11 | Develop a bit everywhere |
| 4-3 | 13/10, 13/9 | Bring down builders |
| 5-3 | 8/3 | Make 3-point (Also sweet!) |
| 6-3 | 24/18, 13/10 | Run and develop |
| 5-4 | 13/9, 13/8 | Bring down builders/make points |
| 6-4 | 8/2 | Make 2-point (Deep defence) |
| 6-5 | 24/13 | Lover’s Leap! (Run for it!) |
Disclaimer: This is what’s generally recommended. Sometimes you gotta trust your gut, or blame the dice when it goes wrong. Mostly blame the dice.
Beyond the First Roll… Uh Oh.
Of course, the opening is just the start. After that, you’re juggling safety, attacking, building primes, watching the pip count (that annoying number that tells you how far behind you really are), and maybe even daring to touch the Doubling Cube (a source of great joy and immense pain). But that’s a whole other can of worms for another day.
Wrapping Up My Ramblings
So there you have it – my two cents on navigating those tricky Backgammon openings. Hopefully, this gives you some ideas or at least confirms that yes, sometimes the “right” move still gets you crunched. That’s Backgammon! Let me know your favourite openings or horror stories in the comments.
May your dice be kind (or at least predictable)!