The opening of four-two is a great beginning. Vitally it makes the 4pt. It produces a trio of blockers whose toothy gaps are just where the opponent wants to anchor. Conflict and a strong attack are imminent. When Black's responds with 64s to White's opening of 24s, the large split to the black barpoint becomes…
a recent fan — page 62
I have become a recent fan of the backgammon roll six-two. Pen name 26s. The whats-it-about nature of this unicorn opening roll, a toss with sole intent to stir up trouble, and then some. But why? Why indeed? The reason must be simple. Why always fighting? Perhaps a tragic neglect and mistreatment during childhood? Never…
options
Always have options at the ready in backgammon. The quantum nature of Lady Luck means: things turn on a dime, things veer into a hazy future. At the outset, divine a way to profit from Luck's caprice. Select each phase of the game and sample it. Start with game plans and kinds of attack, move…
running games and human beings
Human beings are blessed with an ability to "make do". Scrimp and bargain. Do a slipshod job in one arena, and then crawl off to lay low in another arena. But some humans are scramblers, they wager on outcomes, they create possibilities out of transition. They are the players who make it their forte to…
forgetful you
I forget that I should not slot and split at the same time. Missed on one side of the board, I am soon hit loose on the other side. My opponent uses a distraction, a jolt into a state of off-kilter by a prompt and sharp strike on both my blots. Then I spend the…
thoughts on backgammon
One way to learn the game. The scale of backgammon rewards essential detail and terrier effort and kiai -- a robust fighting spirit. Playing well means to play the game with fervor, focus on the big picture, yet demand each small detail add to the team. And to do so dripping with enthusiasm. Then the…
the nature of the game (1)
But that is just the nature of this game. Black minds his own business with a quiet 52s opening. Black just wants to trade his anchor, buy a used car with not a lot miles or options on it. Win this game without a fuss. Suddenly she hits loose. Without warning, White hits the black…
about learning the game (0)
This position came up last week, a juicy racing tip to entice a study group of aging experts. Nowadays, these little scraps of data fling like fireworks through the internet, raining drops of backgammon positions splattered willy and yonder. In truth, to gain the attention of an aging expert, the situation on the board must…
Book: Everyday Errors in Checker Play (2011)
euler-everydayerrorsincheckerplayDownload Book: Everyday Errors in Checker Play (2011) Enjoy the backgammon problems. This pdf book is free, but it is still copyrighted. If you have fun with the problems, please give a donation to one of the four medical charities whose diseases have affected my family: Crohn’s disease and colitis; Parkinson’s disease; cancer; and Alzheimer’s…
XG — eXtreme Gammon
I gratefully acknowledge the kind permission to use the XG board graphics on this website. If you don’t yet own a copy of the XG backgammon bot, please consider buying it. See http://www.extremegammon.com for details. As of 2019 September, and after a decade, it is still the best computer backgammon program available. Thanks, Xavier, for…
the baron talks backgammon 