With just under a year until the inaugural UK Backgammon Open, there is plenty of time to improve your game. Here are 5 things you can be doing between now and the UK Open to maximise your chances of winning it. In every example White is on roll.
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1. Learn the opening moves and responses
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Masters of Backgammon is a wonderfully executed game of backgammon in medieval style. It has very simple and easy to use interface for real fans of this popular board game! Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, beginnings of which date back to more than 5000 years.
One match will take you only 5 to 30 minutes. Backgammon Masters supports many styles of backgammon: » Classic backgammon - the core of the game. » Narde (Nardi) - very popular in Russia. Longer play, since you can't hit opponent's checkers. » Tavla (Tavli or Turkish Backgammon) - popular in Turkey. Very similar to backgammon with some rule.
It would be a shame to get to double match point in the final at the UK Open and not know how to play a simple 31.
Non-contact races / bearoffs come up a lot in backgammon – if you know how to handle the cube correctly in them then you will be at a considerable advantage.
a. Start with the Keith Count.
White’s pip count = 52 White’s adjustments: +4 (checkers on the ace) + 1 (checkers on the 2) +1 (checkers on the 3) +1 (gap on the 4). White’s adjusted count: 52 + 7 = 59 Black’s pip count = 63 Black’s adjustments: +2 (checkers on the ace) Black’s adjusted count: 63 + 2 = 65 Take criteria: 59 plus one seventh = 59 + 8 = 67 67 – 65 = 2 So Double/Take
b. After mastering the Keith Count, move onto Trice’s Effective Pip Count.
4. Study basic match play concepts and learn Neil’s numbers
Tournament backgammon is different to money backgammon. A basic grasp of the different strategies at different scores in a match is needed to play well in tournaments.
Kit Woolsey’s article on 5-point matches is a must-read for any serious backgammon student. The score makes a big difference to correct cube strategy.
The position above is a no double/take at 0 – 0 in a match to 5. It is a double/take at 1 – 1 in a match to 5. It is a double/pass if White is trailing 1 – 3 in a match to 5. Neil Kazaross invented a simple system for memorising match equities. Kit Woolsey describes it here. In the position below it is 0-0 in a match to 11 and White holds an 8-cube.
Black can pass the cube to be 8-0 down in a match to 11. Using Neil’s numbers we know that he will have 100 – ((8 X 5) + 50) = 10% winning chances if he does that. So Black needs to have more than 10% winning chances to take the cube. For Black to win White needs to roll a non-double and Black needs to roll a double. This happens 5/6 X 1/6 of the time or 5/36. 5/36 is greater than 10% so Black should take this cube.
5. Learn from your mistakes
Modern backgammon software allows us to recognise and learn from our mistakes in a way that was impossible 30 years ago. Playing against a computer opponent and then reviewing the match for errors is an excellent way to improve.
Gnu Backgammon is very strong and is free. Extreme Gammon is very strong, is user-friendly and is reasonably priced.
Backgammon software shows us mistakes that we would otherwise have missed. It also allows us to make small changes to positions to understand our errors and to develop a better positional feel.
In the position above White played 10/9* 6/1*. This is a mistake. White should just have made the 5-point – 10/5 6/5.
In the position above a White checker from the 8-point has been moved to the 6-point. Now playing 10/9* 6/1* is correct by a lot. This is primarily because White now has a direct cover for the blot on the ace-point if Black misses.
The position above represents a more subtle variation to our original position. Now Black has more threatening structure and another blot. This makes attacking more pressing for White and 10/9* 6/1* is the correct move.
Summary
There is plenty of time to improve your backgammon game in advance of the UK Open in September 2014. Areas to focus on include:
Learning the opening moves and responses.
Learning a few reference positions.
Learning some racing / bearoff formulae.
Studying basic match play concepts and learn Neil’s numbers.
Learning from your mistakes.
What tips and strategies would you suggest? I look forward to reading your comments below.
Update: We have received the following email from Tim Chow:
Thanks for the heads up! That’s a nice blog post. There’s a slightly updated version of Neil’s numbers. In my opinion, the main thing that makes eXtreme Gammon worth the money is that it performs rollouts much faster. User-friendliness is in the eye of the beholder. Tim
Play Online Backgammon, Tavla, Narde in live player tournaments, hotseat or AI !
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Mirdzas Kempes, Riga, LV
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Want to learn how to play backgammon wherever you go? You are in luck! Backgammon Masters is an aesthetically pleasing game for online and single player backgammon. Enjoy the ancient board game in crisp, modern graphics on your smartphone or tablet! All board game fans will appreciate the easy to use interface, detailed visuals and many features. There is something for everybody! You can personalise your profile, challenge online players, make bets, gammon opponents, participate in tournaments, chat live, find new friends and learn all the tricks of this ancient and exciting board game! Want to play with friends and family? Easy! Play with your friends in hotseat mode, via bluetooth, organise tournaments and improve your skill! Out on a trip and have no internet connection? Just challenge our AI in any backgammon style you wish! One match will take you only 5 to 30 minutes. Backgammon Masters supports many styles of backgammon: ? Classic backgammon - the core of the game. ? Narde (Nardi) - very popular in Russia. Longer play, since you can't hit opponent's checkers. ? Tavla (Tavli or Turkish Backgammon) - popular in Turkey. Very similar to backgammon with some rule differences regarding checker play. ? Nackgammon - variation invented by Nack Ballard with 2 differences from the original game. ? Old English Backgammon - a style popular in United Kingdom. Despite the game's old age millions of people all around the world still enjoy this fantastic board game and its variations up to this day. Join and become a true Master of Backgammon! Game Features: ✅ 5 backgammon styles: Backgammon, Narde, Nackgammon, Old English and Tavla ✅ 4 game modes: Online game, Bluetooth peer-to-peer, against AI and Hotseat ✅ 100% fair and completely random dice rolls ✅ Option to check dice fairness in the game in your profile and on the server ✅ 6 beautiful boards! ✅ 2 difficulty levels in game vs AI ✅ Daily tournaments in Backgammon, Narde, Tavla and Nackgammon ✅ Extensive statistics for the last match ✅ Share your success on Facebook or Twitter! ✅ Highlighting of available moves ✅ Find new friends and opponents in global chat! ✅ Elo score support and skill levels for players. Can you reach the top? ✅ Collect daily free bonus coins! ✅ Multi language support: Russian, German and Turkish translations! ✅ Cross platform support for devices all over the world - Android, tablet or iOS, iPhone and iPad! ✅ Free and regular updates! Like us and follow us for the latest news, updates and free offers: ➡️http://www.facebook.com/2KBLLC ➡️http://www.instagram.com/backgammonmasters ➡️http://www.twitter.com/2kbcompany ➡️http://www.vk.com/playmob If you enjoy Backgammon Masters, leave us a rating! ? We listen to our players and work constantly to improve the game and make it better. Recent changes: - Fixed a touch bug for tablets
Want to learn how to play backgammon wherever you go? You are in luck! Backgammon Masters is an aesthetically pleasing game for online and single player backgammon. Enjoy the ancient board game in crisp, modern graphics on your smartphone or tablet! All board game fans will appreciate the easy to use interface, detailed visuals and many features. There is something for everybody! You can personalise your profile, challenge online players, make bets, gammon opponents, participate in tournaments, chat live, find new friends and learn all the tricks of this ancient and exciting board game! Want to play with friends and family? Easy! Play with your friends in hotseat mode, via bluetooth, organise tournaments and improve your skill! Out on a trip and have no internet connection? Just challenge our AI in any backgammon style you wish! One match will take you only 5 to 30 minutes. Backgammon Masters supports many styles of backgammon: ? Classic backgammon - the core of the game. ? Narde (Nardi) - very popular in Russia. Longer play, since you can't hit opponent's checkers. ? Tavla (Tavli or Turkish Backgammon) - popular in Turkey. Very similar to backgammon with some rule differences regarding checker play. ? Nackgammon - variation invented by Nack Ballard with 2 differences from the original game. ? Old English Backgammon - a style popular in United Kingdom. Despite the game's old age millions of people all around the world still enjoy this fantastic board game and its variations up to this day. Join and become a true Master of Backgammon! Game Features: ✅ 5 backgammon styles: Backgammon, Narde, Nackgammon, Old English and Tavla ✅ 4 game modes: Online game, Bluetooth peer-to-peer, against AI and Hotseat ✅ 100% fair and completely random dice rolls ✅ Option to check dice fairness in the game in your profile and on the server ✅ 6 beautiful boards! ✅ 2 difficulty levels in game vs AI ✅ Daily tournaments in Backgammon, Narde, Tavla and Nackgammon ✅ Extensive statistics for the last match ✅ Share your success on Facebook or Twitter! ✅ Highlighting of available moves ✅ Find new friends and opponents in global chat! ✅ Elo score support and skill levels for players. Can you reach the top? ✅ Collect daily free bonus coins! ✅ Multi language support: Russian, German and Turkish translations! ✅ Cross platform support for devices all over the world - Android, tablet or iOS, iPhone and iPad! ✅ Free and regular updates! Like us and follow us for the latest news, updates and free offers: ➡️http://www.facebook.com/2KBLLC ➡️http://www.instagram.com/backgammonmasters ➡️http://www.twitter.com/2kbcompany ➡️http://www.vk.com/playmob If you enjoy Backgammon Masters, leave us a rating! ? We listen to our players and work constantly to improve the game and make it better. Recent changes: - Fixed a touch bug for tablets
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