Best Opening Move for 4-3 in Backgammon
Best play: 13/10 13/9 (+0.015 equity, gnubg 3-ply analysis)
The opening 4-3 is a genuine three-way argument. The double-builder play 13/10 13/9 floods your outfield with point-making numbers — after it, most rolls make the 5-, 4- or bar-point. Against it stand the split plays, 24/20 13/10 and 24/21 13/9, which bring a back checker up to fight for an advanced anchor. Analysis depths disagree here more than for any other opening except 6-4: deeper searches nudge the builder play ahead by a few thousandths, while rollouts have historically flipped between all three. Over the board, all of them are fine; the real error with 4-3 is passivity, like 13/9 13/10 played as 13/6.
All reasonable plays for 4-3, ranked
| # | Play | Equity | Diff | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13/10 13/9 | +0.015 | — | 49.9 |
| 2 | 24/21 13/9 | +0.007 | -0.007 | 50.0 |
| 3 | 24/20 13/10 | +0.004 | -0.011 | 50.0 |
| 4 | 24/21 24/20 | -0.013 | -0.027 | 49.9 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best opening move for 4-3 in backgammon?
The best play for an opening 4-3 is 13/10 13/9 (GNU Backgammon, 3-ply cubeful analysis). It wins 49.9% of games from the start, with a cubeful equity of +0.015.
Is splitting with 24/20 or 24/21 a mistake with 4-3?
No — the three candidate plays sit within a few thousandths of a point of each other. Split when you want anchor mobility, build when you want maximum point-making numbers next turn.