Following the last lesson, it should come as no surprise to learn of the importance of the 5-pt in your homeboard. It is the most important point on your board for many reasons: since it is an inner-board point, it enables a blitzing game plan by increasing your opponent’s dancing numbers; since it is adjacent to the 6-pt, it also enables a priming game plan1; once you make it, your opponent can’t make it and prevent your game plans; and usually you use a checker from the 6-pt to make it, which is the most efficient use for the checkers from that heavy point in the early game.
That said, it might not be clear to a beginner just how valuable making the 5-pt is. Therefore, at the risk of building a bad habit, the name of this lesson is “Just make the 5-pt.” It is such a good point to make that, given the opportunity to make it, you really need to find a good reason not to. A friend once told me that “finding exceptions to this rule is like an astronomer finding a new star.” Its importance is also why it’s the second lesson in our checker play module.
To drive this point home, here are a few positions where a beginner might be surprised that it is preferable to make the 5-pt:
The first position above is a classic one that appears in nearly every beginner’s backgammon book. Given the option of making the bar-pt (13/7, 8/7) or the 5-pt (11/5, 6/5), it’s better to choose the 5-pt. Many beginners prefer making the bar because they see the continuous 3-prime extending from the 6-pt to the 8-pt, but the 5-pt still does its share of blocking, and yet is also an inner board point. Just make it!
In fact, even if you have the bar point made, it’s often worth it to break it to “upgrade” to the 5-pt:
In the position above, the best play is 7/5 6/5. I’ve heard this called “closing the door but opening a window.” Note that breaking the 7-pt here will leave a direct shot! It is worth it for our precious 5-pt.
Here is another position where it’s worth leaving a direct shot to have your 5-point made:
The 5-point-making play (8/5 6/5) actually leaves some indirect shots, too (direct 6s, including 51 and 42, as well as 43). Still, the reward of having a 3-point board that includes the 5-pt is well worth the risk.
The position below is an even more egregious example of this principle in action:
With your first roll, you chose to run one of your backcheckers to the outfield (62: 24/15). The reasonable thing to do would be to continue with that game plan and run that little guy to safety over to your side of the board, something like 15/11. However, when presented with the opportunity of making the 5-pt with a 31 shake, you’ve gotta take it. Leave your shots on the 15-pt, and make your 5-pt.
We can take this another step further and even find positions that leave double shots by making the 5-pt:
Over the board, I played 13/7 24/23, covering my checker on the bar-point. Once again, making the 5-pt (11/5, 6/5) is the preferred play, despite leaving the blot on the bar-point exposed to 25 shots! That translates to a 70% chance your opponent will hit your checker, but it turns out to be worth the trade-off.
Finally, it’s worth making the 5-pt even at the cost of not hitting our opponent:
If they can run, let them go! If they make the 7-pt anchor, so be it. Our 5-pt will be a permanent asset that is working for us for the remainder of the game. If there is ever any contact in the game, we will be thrilled to have it. Don’t overthink it, just make the 5-pt!
- Compare to making a deeper inner board point, such as the 2-pt. It still adds dancing numbers but it will be challenging to “fill in” the prime between the 3-pt and the 5-pt. ↩︎
Next lesson: Cubing for beginners
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