Replying to the Opening Rolls - The Doubles
The opening plays are really important in backgammon. There are only 15 dice combinations that a player needs to remember how to play to master this part of the game. Unfortunately, if you're the guy who gets to reply to the opening play, you've got more dice combinations and more moves to worry about than your opponent. Though that may be the case, every player still needs to learn how to reply to the opening play.
Keep in mind that there are variations to each play depending on how your opponent made the opening roll. The replies listed here are the most recommended plays to counter the opening rolls.
The first group of replies to the opening roll concerns itself with doubles. The first reply we'll consider is a Six-Six dice combination. With this dice combination, you reply by making both bar-points on the board by doing 24/18(2) 13/7(2).
The next dice combination as a reply we'll look at is a double five on the dice. With this combination recommended move is to do 13/3(2). The play involves removing checkers from your really burdened 13-point and making a home board point at the same time (i.e. your own Three-point on the backgammon board).
A double four is the next dice roll combination in our list of replies. With this combination you can reply to your opponent's opening play by taking control of the 20-point and the Nine-point on the backgammon board. The recommended play for this dice combination is 24/20(2) 13/9(2).
A double three is our next reply to the opening roll in a backgammon game. With this dice combination we can control the 21-point on the backgammon board. This is a strategic position we can't miss out on. Given a double three dice combination we can also close out another important position on the board -- that is the five-point on your home board. The correct play for this dice combination is 24/21(2) 8/5(2).
Our next reply to your opponent's opening roll is a possible double two combination. The Two-Two combination gives us a great opportunity to close out a very strategically important point on the backgammon board. With this roll you can close out the much coveted 20-point. With this you gain the opportunity to make bolder plays (just make sure you hang on to this point). The correct play is to do 24/20(2). A second option as a reply is to do 13/11(2) 6/4(2), which gives you the 11-point and the four-point.
Our last available combination when we reply to the opening roll is a double one. The only correct play for this roll is to do an 8/7(2) 6/5(2) giving you control of the bar-point and the five-point.
These are the replies to the opening roll in backgammon. Remember that when you get a double as a reply, you have the opportunity to close out strategic points on the board.