|
Backgammon Books
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
Cubes and Gammons Near the End of a Match
|
| |
|
|
|
|
AUTHORS:
|
|
Antonio Ortega
Danny Kleinman
|
|
YEAR:
|
|
1997
|
|
PUBLISHER:
|
|
Editorama
|
|
CITY:
|
|
San Jose, Costa Rica
|
|
ISBN:
|
|
9977-88-40-9
|
|
BINDING:
|
|
Softcover, spiral-bound
|
|
PAGES:
|
|
122
|
|
SIZE:
|
|
29 cm high, 21 cm wide
|
READERS
COMMENTS:
|
|
| |
"All the Ortega books are superb match analysis books, and Cubes and Gammons near the End of the Match, although pretty technical, is great for understanding match equity concepts and cube actions in matches."—Gregg Cattanach, August 2000
|
|
|
| |
"Antonio Ortega and Danny Kleinman have just written the definitive treatise on the proper handling of the doubling cube when one player is 2 points away from winning a match. The handling of the doubling cube is often radically different from money play. For instance, there is a large class of positions where it is never right for the leader to double. Similarly, as the trailer's chances of losing a gammon go up, the more correct it becomes for the trailer to double when a market-losing sequence appears. I felt the book gave me a much better grasp of the personalities of certain scores (especially 2-away vs. 3-away and 4-away).
The book is well-written, comprehensive, mathematically accurate, and immensely practical. Occasionally, it does get pretty technical with the computation of doubling windows and doors for various positions. It is necessary reading for any serious tournament player. I give it a solid A for Accuracy, Analysis, and Applicability."—Art Benjamin, Flint Area BackgammoNews, July 1997
|
|
|
|
|
CONTENTS:
|
|
| |
|
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Trailer Doubles
Section 1: Basic Concepts
Section 2: Trailer's Doubling Window
Section 3: Characteristics of Doubling Windows
Section 4: Gammon Cost Analysis
Section 5: Illustrative Problems
Summary of Section 5
Section 6: Problems from Expert Matches
Summary of Section 6
Chapter 2: The Leader Doubles
Section 1: Basic Concepts
Section 2: Leader's Doubling Window
Section 3: Characteristics of Doubling Windows
Section 4: Gammon Cost Analysis
Section 5: Illustrative Problems
Summary of Section 5
Section 6: Problems from Expert Matches
Summary of Section 6
Chapter 3: Both Sides Need 2
1. Double Immediately
2. Market Loser Criterion
3. Wait-and-See
4. Waiting for a Tough Cube
5. Becoming Too Strong
Summary of Chapter 3
|
|
|
|
COVER:
|
|
In this book, authors examine cube strategy in conjunction with varying gammon rates during the final stage of a match when at least one player is two points from victory. This is a critical stage in many matches.
Chapter 1 studies the Trailer's possible doubles, distinguishing pure races from gammonish positions. When the Leader needs only 2, the Trailer can double more aggressively than usual. In actual matches, Trailers have often waited beyond market loss to double, and Leaders have taken clear passes.
Chapter 2 studies the Leader's possible doubles. These are especially hard to appraise because they fall within a narrow range. Once the Leader progresses from "not good enough" to double, he advances quickly through the narrow doubling window in which the cube should be turned and taken and the narrow cashing window in which the cube should be turned and passed, soon becoming "too good to double" (in otherwords, good enough to play for an undoubled gammon). Sometimes these windows shut entirely.
Finally, Chapter 3 touches briefly on the tie score at which both players are two points from victory, discussing the popular market loser criterion and some less popular strategies.
Examples from expert matches illustrate the themes of each chapter.
|
ABOUT THE
AUTHORS:
|
|
Antonio Ortega, five-time national champion of Costa Rica, wrote the acclaimed Fascinating Backgammon and is the main co-author of the much-praised books Costa Rica 1993 and Costa Rica 1994.
Danny Kleinman, world-renowned analyst and theoretician of backgammon, wrote the classic Vision Laughs at Counting and many other backgammon books.
|
BY THE SAME
AUTHOR:
|
|
 | |
Fascinating Backgammon
50 Problems of match and money play
Antonio Ortega
1993: Editorama, San José, Costa Rica
|
 | |
Backgammon: Costa Rica 1993
Final Match: Wilcox Snellings vs. Mike Senkiewicz plus other selected matches from the Second the Tournament of the Americas
Antonio Ortega, Max Esquivel, Mario Madrigal, Neil Kazaross
1994: Grupo Deyesa, S.A., San José, Costa Rica
|
 | |
Backgammon: Costa Rica 1994
Final Match: Mike Senkiewicz vs. Mike Svobodny from the Third Tournament of the Americas
Antonio Ortega, Mario Madrigal, Danny Kleinman
1996: Editorama, San Jose, Costa Rica
|
 | |
Vision Laughs at Counting, Volume 1
With Advice to the Dicelorn
Danny Kleinman
1996: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Vision Laughs at Counting, Volume 2
With Advice to the Dicelorn
Danny Kleinman
1996: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Meanwhile, Back at the Chouette
Danny Kleinman
1996: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Wonderful World of Backgammon
Danny Kleinman
1996: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Is There Life After Backgammon?
Danny Kleinman
1997: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Jerry Grandell: His most important matches
Antonio Ortega, Danny Kleinman
1999: Editorama, S.A., San Jose, Costa Rica
|
 | |
Double-Sixes from the Bar
Danny Kleinman
1999: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
How Can I Keep From Dancing
Danny Kleinman
1999: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
The Dice Conquer All
Danny Kleinman
1999: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Backgammon With the Giants: Neil Kazaross
Antonio Ortega, Danny Kleinman
2001: Editorama, S.A., San Jose, Costa Rica
|
 | |
How Little We Know About Backgammon
Danny Kleinman
2001: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
The Other Side of Midnight
Danny Kleinman
2002: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
But Only the Hogs Win Backgammons
"The bulls sometimes win, and the bears sometimes win ..."
Danny Kleinman
2002: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
A Backgammon Book for Gabriel
Danny Kleinman
2003: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
 | |
Long Road to Gammon
Danny Kleinman
2003: Larry Strommen, Los Angeles, CA
|
|
|
 |
|
