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Backgammon |
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 Backgammon is an exciting game, a gambling game but a game of high
skill at the same time. It is played in casinos only occasionally, as an
attraction to get people in who wouldn't go otherwise. In its true nature, it
is a private contest between friends. It is this intimate and competitive
quality of Backgammon that explains its widespread appeal.
The game is
known to be very old without the exact origins being identified. It was in
England before the Battle of Hastings in one form or another but it was the
Crusaders who made it really popular. In the Third Crusade in 1190, the french
king ordered that no one below the rank of knight should play it, so demanding
was the gambling spirit amongst the soldiers.
 Richard I and his brother King John played it under its new name,
tables, and it was popular among the upper classes. It spread
throughout the Middle Ages for the next 400 years, gradually filtering down
through the class system to Inn keepers who provided boards for their
customers. The church tried to ban the game and fought a losing battle against
it.
By 1645 the early game had been adapted in England with more complex
rules, such as the triple game or a backgammon as we call it, and
the way we play doublets today, that is one number played four times. It also
got a new name, Backgammon, and within twenty years tables
was never heard of again.
The game was popular until the 19th century
when chess dominated the social scene. Early in the twentieth century the game
absorbed the doubling cube, a way of registering the doubling of stakes
mid-game. That was such a good idea that it was only time before the modern
culture of gambling picked the game up again. So it was in the 1970s that
Backgammon showed its real colours and today it is played around the world. Of
course it has never been away from its roots in the Middle East, Turkey and
Greece, although to this day many people there still play the game without the
doubling cube. |
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| The Game |
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Backgammon is
alluring because of the tremendous history associated with it and the beauty of
its simplicity. Its a game that Kings have played for thousands of years and
yet all the rules can be learnt in ten minutes. Still more intriguing is the
difficulty in grasping the methods of playing the game well and to this day,
even aided by very fast computers, experts are undecided on the how best to
approach the game. This fact makes the game more attractive than Chess, for
example, where arduous computer work is able to solve problems
completely.
Backgammon is also a game with two distinct parts which must
both be understood to play well. Checker play must be allied with the equity
calculations that go with gambling on the outcome of a game. The most effective
way of winning a game is often not the best route in terms of winning equity,
or money.
Today Backgammon is not as popular as Poker because poker is
more easily played by groups of people and the image is more down to earth.
Another reason is that it is very difficult to be a top backgammon player and
playing against one becomes a very personal experience which is hard. The group
of poker players at a table makes it much less personal and thus bearable, even
when playing stronger opponents.
Popularity is however on the increase
because of good computer software that allows people to practice very well at
home and Internet sites that enable people from around the world to play each
other whilst staying at home. |
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| Beginners |
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A good book
is crucial to learn how to play this game. Few players have the wherewithall to
understand strategies of play without first being shown examples from books or
experienced players. In fact all the worlds top players started with the book
approach. If you want a quick reference look at How to Play Backgammon.
There are
currently many pieces of computer software that play the game to varying
standards. Most will give beginners a strong opponent but will be unlikely to
show the way to develop their game. The top two programs are known as Snowie and Jellyfish and can achieve a very high level of play
as well as show an eager learner the way forward to improve their game and
results. They are however both in excess of £100 for the full analysis
tool although straight forward game playing versions are much
cheaper.
Beginners should attempt to encourage friends who will be good
playing partners. When a basic level of skill is reached, as measured against a
program or decent player, then consider finding a local club. These are listed below. |
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| Professionals |
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A true
professional is hard to find, if at all possible. Very good players at this
game can be sure of making a profit over a long period of time but the
difference between players at the top is very small and so competition is very
strong. The best a world class player can realistically hope for is to earn
money from tuition or royalties from books, as with many other pursuits or
sports.
Top players do have enjoyable experiences to look forward to by
playing in big tournaments in nice places around the world. Monte Carlo,
the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Las Vegas and Istanbul are
among the venues for the biggest events. It is a way of life rather than a
professional pursuit.
The traditional place Backgammon had amongst the
affluent classes still exits but they are no longer the main body of people who
attend the big tournaments. There is a much younger set of computer wired
players who had the benefit of good quality reference material to learn from.
Now there are serious pieces of software that can be strong opponents for
practising at length. Still however there are a few top players who manage to
show the rest that there is still something to learn in this game.
The
greatest player of the modern era is the 1978 World Champion Paul
Magriel, whose book Backgammon served as the bible of the
game for 20 years. It still is a brilliant piece of cohesive analysis and
explanation of the game. All budding players should buy a copy to keep forever.
Two time World Champion ('83&'87) Bill Robertie is the most prolific
writer of useful books on the game. |
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| Clubs |
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| Tournaments |
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Tournaments make use
of the match form of Backgammon and are the best way to identify good players
from an entry field of mixed ability players. There are many attractive aspects
of tournaments and some draw-backs.
Good features of tournament
play
- Limited Liability Players on the learning curve
can compete in tournaments with very strong players with no risk other than the
entry fee that they paid at the beginning of the tournament.
- Focus Point Players developing their game get
real life practice under pressure where they can demonstrate to themselves
whether they can meet all the challenges of the game.
- Large Prizes With many players in a single
tournament, even modest entry fees add up to make substantial prizes for the
winner and runners-up. This attracts the top players and creates tension in
each match.
Bad features
of tournament play
- Knockout formats Most tournaments are run along
the lines of the knock-out format and this means that an early defeat will put
players immediately out of contention, often with nothing to do for a long
time. To avoid this inevitable drawback, large International tournaments
feature consolation tournaments. These take a slice of the original entry fees
to form prizes of their own and all players knocked out in the first two rounds
of the main event can play in the Consolation Event.
- Expenses Tournaments are usually not held on your
doorstep so travel expenses will always be incurred.
There are a
handful of major tournaments in the world and many smaller national events that
take place all the time. The World
Championships take place in Monte Carlo in July of each year and
have been there since 1979. Before that time it was held in the Bahamas and the
last winner there was the great Paul Magriel. |
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| World Championships
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| YEAR |
WINNER |
COUNTRY |
| 1967 |
Tim Holland |
USA |
| 1968 |
Tim Holland |
USA |
| 1969 |
Alice Topping |
USA |
| 1970 |
no championship |
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| 1971 |
Tim Holland |
USA |
| 1972 |
Oswald Jacoby |
USA |
| 1973 |
Carol Crawford |
USA |
| 1974 |
Claude Beer |
USA |
| 1975 |
Billy Eisenberg |
USA |
| 1976 |
Baron Vernon Ball |
USA |
| 1976 |
Joe Dwek |
UK |
| 1977 |
Ken Goodman |
USA |
| 1977 |
Jean Noel Grinda |
France |
| 1978 |
Paul Magriel |
USA |
| 1978 |
Richard de Surmont |
France |
| 1979 |
Luigi Villa |
Italy |
| 1980 |
Walter Coratella |
Mexico |
| 1981 |
Lee Genud |
USA |
| 1982 |
Jacques Michel |
Switzerland |
| 1983 |
William Robertie |
USA |
| 1984 |
Michael Svobodny |
USA |
| 1985 |
Charles-Henri Sabet |
Switzerland |
| 1986 |
Clement Palacci |
Italy |
| 1987 |
William Robertie |
USA |
| 1988 |
Philip Marmorstein |
Germany |
| 1989 |
Joseph Russel |
USA |
| 1990 |
Hal Heinrich |
Canada |
| 1991 |
Michael Meyburg |
Germany |
| 1992 |
Ion Ressu |
Romania |
| 1993 |
Peter Thomsen |
Denmark |
| 1994 |
Franck Frigo |
USA |
| 1995 |
David Ben-Zion |
Israel |
| 1996 |
David Nahmad |
Italy |
| 1997 |
Jerry Grandell |
Sweden |
| 1998 |
Michael Meyburg |
Germany |
| 1999 |
Jorgen Granstedt |
Sweden |
| 2000 |
Katie Scalamandre |
USA |
| 2001 |
Jorgen Granstedt |
Sweden |
| 2002 |
Mads Andersen |
Denmark |
| 2003 |
Jon Røyset |
Norway |
| 2004 |
Peter Hallberg |
Denmark |
| 2005 |
Dennis Carlston |
USA |
| 2006 |
Philip Vischjager |
Holland |
| 2007 |
Jorge Alberto Pan |
Argentina |
| 2008 |
Lars Trabolt |
Denmark |
| 2009 |
Masayuki Mochizuki |
Japan |
| 2010 |
Lars Bentzon |
Denmark |
| 2011 |
Takumitsu Suzuki |
Japan |
| 2012 |
Nevzat Dogan |
Denmark |
| 2013 |
Vyacheslav Pryadkin |
Ukraine |
| 2014 |
Akiko Yazawa |
Japan |
| 2015 |
Ali Cihanger Cetinel |
Turkey |
| 2016 |
Jörgen Granstedt |
Sweden |
| 2017 |
Didier Assaraf |
France |
| YEAR |
PLACE |
| 1967 - 74 |
Las Vegas |
| 1975 - 78 |
Bahamas |
| 1976 - present |
Monte Carlo |
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The
Backgammon World Championship started off in the gambling capital of the world,
Las Vegas, in 1967. The winner then was one of the three sixties pioneers of
the game, Tim Holland. The others being Oswald Jacoby and Carol Crawford. In
1975 the tournament moved to the Bahamas. In 1976 a rival tournament started in
Monte Carlo which is why there are 2 champions for the years 76 -
78.
The last World Championship Event to be staged in the Bahamas was
1978, the victor being Paul Magriel. Since then the tournament has been held in
the principality of Monaco and now it has a permanent place in The Fairmont
Hotel (previously The Grand for a few years and Loews Hotel for many years),
over looking the harbour. Its a grand setting indeed and it is primarily a
showcase for the game where the top players come to have fun.
The
tounament is a week long affair with four consolation events running alonside
the main event. The entry fee is around $1000 and there are usually around 250
players participating in the Championship. The are lower divisions as well for
the many developing players. The total of $250,000 in prize money is
distributed amongst the winners of all the events with the largest part going
to the winner, the World Champion.
Backgammon shows
itself to be international by the long list of different nationalities that
have won the championship. It can't be long before one of the home nations
(Greece, Turkey, Egypt) shows itself to have adopt the western game enough to
provide a champion.
Didier Assaraf (France) is backgammon World
Champion, beating Petko Kostadinov (USA) in the final. Didier did not lose a
single match.
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Didier Assaraf
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| Software |
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GNU
Backgammon
GNU Backgammon (gnubg) is for playing and analysing
backgammon positions, games and matches. It's based on a neural network. GNU
Backgammon is free software and released under the GNU General Public License
(GPL).
I (the editor) have won a few large BG tournaments in my time and
this software will give anyone a challenge and the analysis and rollout
features are wonderful for a product that is free.
Get yours
here.
eXtreme Gammon
eXtreme Gammon is the
Number 1 backgammon program in the world. It is the strongest and fastest (by
far) tool of reference for all the top players in the world.
Snowie
Snowie is a great tool for backgammon players of every
level. Based on proprietary neural networks and a user-friendly interface, it
will analyze and annotate an entire match. The free GNU Backgammon is however
better.
OTHER
Many other types of backgammon game software
exist to play on your computer or you over the net. We sample just a few.
GreedyGammon
GreedyGammon is a new backgammon server from
the publishers of 3DFiBs and FiBzilla. (Better than FIBS) Please note.
GreedyGammon is NOT a FIBS client. You must create a new username/password to
play. |
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| Internet |
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 There are a few ways for you to play Backgammon on the internet.
Many game sites exist which include areas for Backgammon players and you'll
have to download some software to connect.
True Money Games
TrueMoneyGames allows you to play
real-money backgammon against live players from all over the world, providing
an easy-to-use interface with animated 2D/3D-graphics and realistic sound.
TrueMoneyGames supports players in 9 languages. There is no membership fee, and
you can play just for fun, or play for real money stakes, with secure money
transfers and guaranteed payouts. Refer to the website
True Money Games
Gammonsite
Free to play as
a guest or $20 to join and play against the best.
Gammonsite.
Others
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