Starting Off with a Four-Two Opening Roll
When you get to be the first player to get backgammon started, make the best opening checker move with the dice roll. There are fifteen possible starting combinations in the opening roll and each has its own advantageous move. Take a four-two opening throw for instance, there's one best move for this combination. While others may have more than two options, there's only one way to go if you want to make the best of the four-two roll. And that's making your four-point.
As you well know, the four-point is in your inner board. It's sound advice to say that if there's any point you can make, make your inner board. And making a point is akin to placing an anchor (with two or more of your checkers) on it. So, how do you make the four-point?
It's by taking a checker each from the eight and six points. Starting positions place three checkers on your eight-point and five on your six-point. So, advancing a checker from each of them wouldn't leave defenseless blots. Move one checker from the eight-point down four pips and advance one checker from the six-point down two pips. And that's how you make or anchor your inner board four-point.
There are three reasons why this is the best move for the four-two opening roll. These grounds include making the home board point, splitting from the tall six-point and likely building a prime.
Making the home board point means allowing less room for opposing checkers to re-enter from the bar. Also, this helps to keep the opponent's checkers from running away from your one-point.
Splitting from the tall six-point is important because, more often than not, bearing off is harder from it than you would otherwise think. While it is a home board point, it's more beneficial to keep points short with two to three checkers for the anchor.
And of course, the prime is the best defense in backgammon. That's six made points on your board. And if you're going to make one, it's should either be from the nine-point down to the four-point or from the eight-point down to the three-point.
There's one best move for the four-two opening roll in backgammon. That's making your four-point. Move one checker each from the eight and six points and advance them to the four-point. This is the best approach because you'll be placing an anchor in your inner board, relieving the over stacked six-point, and making a potential prime.