Backgammon Articles

For Beginners Study Material Book Suggestions Books Reviewed Quizzes

 

	For Beginners
	Sydney Backgammon FAQ By Mark Driver. A gentle introduction to the game of backgammon, some terminology, and ideas for learning and improving.
	Introduction to Backgammon Strategy By Robert Townsend. The first in a series of articles designed to give new players the basic thought process of the game. The article discusses four aspects of backgammon play: (1) strategic play, (2) tactical play, (3) assessing a position, and (4) attitude.
	Backgammon Strategy By GamesGrid. Information to help players improve their game. The article is divided into eleven sections: anchoring, blocking and priming, communication, distribution, diversification, duplication, exposure, hitting, opening rolls, equity, and vigorish.
	Backgammon Tactics By Yahoo Games. A quick introduction to some of the important features of backgammon tactics. Items discussed include: the importance of the five-point, primes, slotting, avoiding being hit, the running game, the holding game, and the back game.
	RedTop's Backgammon Tips By Hank Youngerman. Advice on using the doubling cube and several other handy tips for beginners.
	Basic Strategy for Beginners By Mark Damish. Tips taken from the Backgammon FAQ. Topics discussed include: distribution, exposure, blocking and priming, hitting, and anchoring.
	Study Material
	Key Concepts of Backgammon By Hank Youngerman. A nice set of introductory articles on notation, timing, equity, winning chances, backgames and holding games, propositions, cube strategy, calculating probabilities, skill and luck, and computer backgammon programs.
	Serious Backgammon Tips By Martin Short. A list of random tips and general guidelines to help make you a better backgammon player.
	Top 5 Most Common Errors By Alan Webb. Five web pages cover the important aspects of backgammon strategy. These are errors you often see in inexperienced or casual players.
	Improving Your Game Many useful suggestions on ways to become a better player. Collected postings from the rec.games.backgammon newsgroup.
	Book Suggestions
	Recommended Reading By Simon Woodhead. Suggested books for beginners, intermediate players, and advanced players.
	Backgammon Books Worth Reading By Tom Keith. Recommended books to read, classified as: introductory books, books for intermediate players, books for advanced players, books of annotated matches, books of collected articles, and books on cube handling.
	Book Suggestions Some great suggestions on what are the best backgammon books to read. Collected postings from the rec.games.backgammon newsgroup.
	Bibliography By Art Grater. An extensive list of books and articles which have been written about the game of backgammon.
	Book Reviews By Martin Short. A fabulous collection of reviews of all the good backgammon books. Before you buy a book, check out this site!
	Book Reviews Book reviews and other comments on specific books. Collected postings from the rec.games.backgammon newsgroup.
	Books Reviewed
	Trice's Backgammon Boot Camp By Jake Jacobs. Walter Trice's book for beginners, intermediates, and experts first appeared online at GammonVillage. Jeremy Bagai liked Walter's series of columns so much that he proposed publishing them as a book. Jacobs writes: "The book is a very attractive paperback running nearly three-hundred and fifty pages, which makes its $40 price tag a bargain."
	Bagai's Classic Backgammon Revisited By Marty Storer. With the help of Snowie 3, Bagai analyzes 120 problems from some of the old classics: The Backgammon Book (Jacoby and Crawford), Backgammon for Profit (Dwek), Backgammon (Magriel), Paradoxes and Probabilities (Cooke), and Advanced Backgammon (Robertie).
	Becker's Backgammon for Blood By Martin Short. Becker loves backgames and merciless hitting and slotting and cares nothing of the race or running game. This is a book which arouses strong opinions.
	Cooke/Orlean's Championship Backgammon By Mark Driver. Cooke was one of the legendary players on the International tournament circuit during the 1960's and 1970's. This book marks the final chapter in Cooke's "trilogy" of backgammon works, after The Cruelest Game and Paradoxes and Probabilities.
	Heinrich/Woolsey's New Ideas in Backgammon By Kate McCollough. Kit Woolsey was runner-up in the 1996 World Cup, and Hal Heinrich was winner of the 1990 Monte Carlo World Championship. All the positions in this book are taken from actual tournament matches in which a top expert made an incorrect choice.
	Kleinman's Vision Laughs at Counting By Mark Driver. Sold as a two-volume, self-published, spiral bound edition. Volume 1 is Vision Laughs at Counting. Volume 2 is Advice to the Dice Lorn. Kleinman is prolific author noted most for his mathematical genius. He has a gift for putting a number to every conceivable concept of the game.
	Lamford's Starting Out in Backgammon By Mark Driver. Paul Lamford is a former British Champion in both Backgammon and Bridge. This book marks his second venture into the backgammon literary market, following on the footsteps of his successful intermediate/advanced text, 100 Backgammon Puzzles.
	Mabardi's Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win By Paul Tanenbaum. When Chuck Bower asked for positions from serious writings which make the worst recommendations, Paul Tanenbaum replied with several quotes from Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win. This quaint but entertaining book was written in 1930 and reprinted in 1974.
	Ortega's Fascinating Backgammon By Roy Friedman. This book consists of 50 problems with approximately 100 analyzed positions including all of the variations. The problems cover various aspects of money and match play with emphasis on cube action in the endgame. The author, an experienced international player, has won the Costa Rican National Championship in four of the last five years.
	Wiggins's Boards, Blots, and Double Shots By Martin Short. This book has 129 positions rolled out by by Jellyfish and analyzed by the author. The purpose is to help readers develop the ability to see and evaluate the pertinent features of a position and decide which goals take priority over others.
	Ortega/Madrigal/Kleinman's Backgammon: Costa Rica 1994 By Kit Woolsey. The book examines the Third Tournament of the Américas Cariari Masters final match between experts Mike Senkiewicz and Mike Svobodny.
	Quizzes
	Hit or Bust? By Paul Lamford. In each of six problems, you have the opportunity to make one or more hits. Decide what you would do, then check the answers.
	Take It or Leave It By Paul Lamford. In each of six problems, you must decide the proper cube action. Give a decision for both sides: Should White double? Should Black take? Then check the answers.
	Webby's Backgammon Quiz By Alan Webb. Five quizzes likely to challenge even advanced players. All positions are from real games. There are no trick questions, but you will need to know some backgammon fundamentals to get many right.
	Ed's Backgammon Problems By Ed Collins. Six instructive problems with answers.
	Quiz Problems By Kit Woolsey. Quiz problems from the demo issure of GammOnLine. Compare your answers and your reasons with the Expert Panel. The solutions are here.

Copyright © 1996-2006 by Tom Keith