Best Opening Move for 5-2 in Backgammon
Best play: 24/22 13/8 (+0.014 equity, gnubg 3-ply analysis)
The opening 5-2 pairs an automatic five (13/8) with a genuinely debated two. The modern preference is 24/22, splitting the back checkers toward an anchor; the alternative 13/11 keeps everything home and adds a builder. For years the two plays traded places at the top of rollout lists — the margin is a few thousandths — but deeper analysis has settled on the split for money play. After 13/8 your 8-point carries four checkers, so the position hardly needs another builder; giving the back checkers flexibility earns more.
All reasonable plays for 5-2, ranked
| # | Play | Equity | Diff | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24/22 13/8 | +0.014 | — | 50.2 |
| 2 | 13/11 13/8 | +0.009 | -0.005 | 50.0 |
| 3 | 13/8 6/4 | -0.049 | -0.063 | 48.6 |
| 4 | 13/6 | -0.081 | -0.095 | 47.8 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best opening move for 5-2 in backgammon?
The best play for an opening 5-2 is 24/22 13/8 (GNU Backgammon, 3-ply cubeful analysis). It wins 50.2% of games from the start, with a cubeful equity of +0.014.
How close is 13/11 to the split play?
Very close — this was long considered a coin-flip. Deep rollouts give the split a small but consistent edge, mainly because the extra builder duplicates work the 8-point stack already does.