Best Opening Move for 6-5 in Backgammon
Best play: 24/13 (+0.093 equity, gnubg 3-ply analysis)
The opening 6-5 is "lover’s leap": run a back checker 24/13 to the safety of your midpoint. One checker escapes the opponent’s home board entirely, your midpoint gets a fifth checker, and you take a small race lead with zero blots. No other opening roll lets a back checker travel from the 24-point to safety in one turn, which is why the play is completely standard. After 24/13 your game plan tilts toward a race: you have one straggler left on the 24-point and slightly less need to fight for priming points.
All reasonable plays for 6-5, ranked
| # | Play | Equity | Diff | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24/13 | +0.093 | — | 53.0 |
| 2 | 24/18 13/8 | +0.035 | -0.058 | 51.2 |
| 3 | 13/8 13/7 | -0.062 | -0.154 | 48.0 |
| 4 | 13/2 | -0.139 | -0.231 | 46.4 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best opening move for 6-5 in backgammon?
The best play for an opening 6-5 is 24/13 (GNU Backgammon, 3-ply cubeful analysis). It wins 53.0% of games from the start, with a cubeful equity of +0.093.
Why is 24/13 called lover’s leap?
The name is old backgammon slang for the single checker’s dramatic leap from the 24-point all the way home to the midpoint — the longest safe journey an opening roll allows.