The 13/10 13/8 Opening Play in Backgammon
There are two reasonably efficient ways to play an opening roll of five-three in a game of backgammon. The two options are 8/3 6/3 and 13/10 13/8. There has been a change in opinion for most backgammon players regarding the correct play for the five-three opening roll. We'll check the details of the old favorite play - doing 13/10 13/8 for this backgammon opening roll.
Both plays for the five-three opening roll have their strengths and weaknesses. Doing 13/8 13/10 on the opening roll brings down a couple of your checkers from the mid-point to act as builders. The 8/3 6/3 play for this backgammon opening roll obviously makes your 13-point.
Backgammon experts previously have given no regard to making the three-point. Often, the three-point on the backgammon board has been considered irrelevant early in the game. There were players who saw that doing a 13/10 13/8 is a better option than make a home board point that is quite deep.
Backgammon experts both of the past and of today say that one good way to play a five in a backgammon opening roll is to do a 13/8. In fact this is a highly recommended move and is accepted by many backgammon players. This might well be half of the reason why doing a 13/10 13/8 has become an option for this opening roll.
This move for the firve-three opening roll is indeed very useful. With the extra spare on the eight-point you can do a couple of things. First, you can use that spare backgammon checker to make a point later in the game. What's more, even after making a point on your home board you still have a spare backgammon checker to harass your opponent's checkers sitting in your home board.
The blot on your ten-point when you do 13/10 13/8 for this backgammon opening roll is quite safe. Your opponent only has three viable dice roll combinations to hit this backgammon checker. You have the option to use this builder to develop your side of the backgammon board.
What's more, this checker on the 10-point adds to your coverage of the backgammon board. You can say that, by your current position, your opponent's runners are in check and would have a hard time getting out.
At the onset, the 13/10 13/8 works like other split and build plays where you open up two viable functions early in a game of backgammon. The first is that you can make a point on your home board, the other is to put your opponent's back checkers in check.