Books

Forum Archive : Books

 
Magriel: Backgammon--2004 Edition

From:   Tom Keith
Address:   tom@bkgm.com
Date:   28 December 2004
Subject:   The "true" Golden Point
Forum:   GammOnLine

A new hardcover edition of Magriel's Backgammon is out. It is almost
identical to the original. The pages are a little narrower, and the
diagrams are in black ink only whereas the original had green and black
ink. Also the quality of print is not quite as good as the original
(possibly a photocopy).

But the new edition has a 10-page forward written by Renée Magriel
Roberts (Magriel's wife at the time the book was written, but separated)
entitled "Paul Magriel and the Making of Backgammon". Near the end of
the Forward, RMR writes:

> Button [Paul Magriel] now feels that he made a significant error in
> Backgammon when he named the opponent's 5-point the "Golden Point" and
> called the capture of it the most important objective of the early
> game. Time (and yes, Snowie) have since shown us that the opponent's
> bar point is actually the true Golden Point, a much better point to
> attack and claim in the early going. As long as you and your opponent
> are battling for the bar point he is not making home-board points, so
> getting closed out is less of a risk early in the game.
>
> Meanwhile, his bar point, if successfully annexed, gives you great
> conrol and flexibility in your opponent's outer board. Moreover, by
> holding the opponent's bar point, you have an excellent chance of
> staying in the game right until the end; it holds your opponent's mid
> point checkers and frequently generates a shot as the opponent is
> clearing the mid point to come home.

I'm curious to hear what others think of this. Is it really better to
fight for the opponent's bar-point early in the game than his five-
point?

Gregg Cattanach  writes:

I agree with Magriel's first notion that the 20-point is the best
defensive point. The 20-point covers the opponent's outer board AND
prevents any permanent closeout. You can easily construct positions when
you have a man on the bar and are holding the 20-point where you have an
easy take but in the identical position if you only hold his bar point
you should pass. The point about direct contact with the midpoint is
valid, but in general that doesn't make up for the safe re-entry point
provided by the 20-point.

The errors in the book are most those of individual positions, not
really the bigger concepts. I think Renee/Paul have made a mistake here.
(Curious whether Paul 'signed off' on this new forward.)

Daniel Murphy  writes:

You get the rolls you get, and you do with them what you can, depending
on the positioning of your and opponent's checkers. "Now I'm going to go
after the 18 point" doesn't properly characterize opening tactics.

For example, a common tactic in the fight for an advanced holding point
is to come to the bar point, whether on the first roll, first response
or soon thereafter in the face of outfield builders for opponent's 7, 5
and 4 points. This forces opponent to either attack the bar point blot
or ignore it. As the excerpt correctly observes, "as long as you and
your opponent are battling for the bar point he is not making home-board
points." But what this means tactically is that if opponent attacks the
bar point, you have good chances of making the 5 (or 4) point anchor,
largely negating the value of opponent's 7 point. If oponent ignores the
bar point slot (perhaps making his 5 or 4), you have good chances of
making the bar point pseudo-anchor, an excellent holding point.

It's a bit of a stretch, though, to deduce from these tactical
considerations that you're better off with the 18 point than the 20!

Doesn't the 20 point also "give you great control and flexibility in
your opponent's outer board"? Doesn't the 20 point also give you "an
excellent" [I daresay better] "chance of staying in the game right until
the end," of holding opponent's midpoint checkers, and frequently
generating shots?

Something the 20 point gives you that the 18 point does not is the
security of a home board anchor to play boldly on your own side of the
board. With that security, you are often freer to attack and bring an
even earlier end to the game.

Casper van der Tak  writes:

There is a set of holding positions where you'd like to shift from the
20 to the 18 if possible (typically rolling a 22), depending on the
status of the race and other factors. But in abstract, I'd prefer the
20, which is a better anchor to hold in positions with a lot of mutual
hitting and blitzes as a possibility.

rew  writes:

Yes, I was first aware of this when I read Paul Lamford's simple but
nice quiz book for intermediates called _100 Backgammon Puzzles_ where
you should switch from the 20 to 18. His tip is that "the best defensive
anchor is the bar point when the opponent still has the midpoint to
clear" and I have found this to be true in most positions I have seen
from my own or others matches. I guess it is because even though he will
often have the 8 and or 7 and 6 point left to clear after clearing the
midpoint when you have the 20 point, and he is also slightly less free
to dump checkers when you hold the deeper achor, it is more than
compensated by the fact that if he fails to clear the mid you get a
direct shot instead of an indirect and you also block the doubles better
from the 18 point particularly on 66.

In most positions though I view the 18 or 20 anchor as about equally
valuable.

Gregg Cattanach  writes:

Here's two very similar positions where O is on the bar against a 3-1/2
point board. Holding the 20 point he has an easy take. Holding the 18
point he has a big pass.

    Position 1: X on roll. X doubles.

     24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+  145
    |     O       O   X   O |   |     O               X |
    |     O           X   O |   |     O               X |
    |                     O |   |     O                 |
    |                       |   |     O                 |
    |                       | O |                       |
    |                     X |   |                       |
    |                     X |   |                       |
    |             X   X   X |   | O   X               O |
    |         X   X   X   X |   | O   X               O |
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+  127
      1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12

    Position 2: X on roll. X doubles.

     24  23  22  21  20  19      18  17  16  15  14  13
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+  149
    |     O       O   X   O |   |     O               X |
    |     O           X   O |   |     O               X |
    |                     O |   |     O                 |
    |                       |   |     O                 |
    |                       | O |                       |
    |                     X |   |                       |
    |                     X |   |                       |
    |     X       X   O   X |   | X                   O |
    |     X   X   X   O   X |   | X                   O |
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+  119
      1   2   3   4   5   6       7   8   9  10  11  12

Chuck Bower  writes:

This points out a fallacy in the Magriel argument: True, when you're
fighting for the advanced point, you don't want to be hit loose on the
20-point. But later in the game, having the 20-point could pay
dividends.
 
Did you find the information in this article useful?          

Do you have any comments you'd like to add?     

 

Books

Bagai: Classic Backgammon Revisited  (Gregg Cattanach, Feb 2002) 
Bagai: Classic Backgammon Revisited #100  (Raccoon, Nov 2004) 
Bagai: Classic Backgammon Revisited--Errata  (Jeremy Bagai+, Apr 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Ball: Alpha Backgammon  (James Takahashi+, May 1994) 
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings Book A  (Marty Storer, Jan 2008)  [GammOnLine forum]
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings Book A  (Mislav Radica, Nov 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings Book A  (Rob Adams+, Oct 2007) 
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings Book A  (Gregg Cattanach, Oct 2007) 
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings Book A  (Neil Kazaross+, Jan 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Ballard & Weaver: Backgammon Openings--Volunteers needed  (Nack Ballard, June 2007) 
Barr: Barr on Backgammon  (Walter Swan+, Feb 1996) 
Becker: Backgammon for Blood  (Gus, Mar 2003) 
Becker: Backgammon for Blood  (PTaber+, June 1999) 
Becker: Backgammon for Blood  (Michael Fuhrmann, Aug 1997) 
Becker: Backgammon for Blood  (Daniel Murphy, July 1997) 
Becker: Backgammon for Blood  (Durf Freund+, May 1994) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (&Atilda;˜ystein Johansen+, Apr 2006)  [GammOnLine forum]
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (André Nicoulin, Oct 2000) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (David Montgomery, May 1999) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (Peter Bell, Aug 1998) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (Jacques Torrione, Feb 1998) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (Robert Scibelli, Dec 1997) 
Bell: Winning with the Doubling Cube  (Kevin Bastian, Nov 1997) 
Bray: Backgammon for Blood  (Chris Bray, Sept 2007) 
Bray: Backgammon to Win  (Chris Bray, June 2007) 
Bray: Backgammon to Win, second edition  (Chris Bray, Aug 2012) 
Bray: Backgammon--An Independent View  (Chris Bray, May 1998) 
Bray: Backgammon--An Independent View Revisited  (Chris Bray+, Jan 2005) 
Bray: Second Wind  (Chris Bray, May 2007) 
Bray: What Colour is the Wind?  (Chris Bray+, June 2002) 
Bray: What Colour is the Wind?--Rerelease  (Chris Bray, Sept 2006) 
Brooks: Backgammon's Best Openings and Replies  (Chuck Bower+, Dec 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Clay: Backgammon Winning Strategies  (Michael Strato, Nov 1999) 
Clay: Backgammon Winning Strategies  (Gary Wong, Jan 1998) 
Cooke & Bradshaw: Backgammon--The Cruelest Game  (Chuck Bower+, Aug 1998) 
Cooke & Orléan: Championship Backgammon  (Timothy Chow+, Apr 2011) 
Cooke & Orléan: Championship Backgammon  (Marty Storer, Sept 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Cooke: Paradoxes and Probabilities  (Neil Kazaross+, Sept 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Cooke: Paradoxes and Probabilities  (Peter van Arkel+, Sept 2002) 
Cooke: Paradoxes and Probabilities  (Donald Kahn, Dec 1998) 
Cooke: Paradoxes and Probabilities  (Stephen Turner, Apr 1996) 
Corbett: Backgammon Problems  (Stick+, Jan 2008) 
Deyong: The Playboy Book of Backgammon  (Shuman Lloyd Lee, Aug 1991) 
Dwek: Backgammon for Profit  (Bob Stringer, Sept 2002) 
Euler: Everyday Errors in Checker Play  (BaronGossettEulerPhD+, June 2012) 
Garal: Fair Backgammon Tournament Rules  (Jakob Garal, June 2007) 
Heinrich & Woolsey: New Ideas in Backgammon  (Douglas Zare, Mar 2003) 
Heinrich & Woolsey: New Ideas in Backgammon  (Craig E. Groeschel+, Sept 1998) 
Heinrich & Woolsey: New Ideas in Backgammon  (David Montgomery, May 1997) 
Heyken & Fischer: The Backgammon Handbook  (Martin Fischer, Sept 1998) 
Heyken & Fischer: The Backgammon Handbook  (Marina Smith, Feb 1998) 
Hickey & Storer: What's Your Game Plan?  (Timothy Chow, May 2011) 
Jacoby & Crawford: The Backgammon Book  (Patrick Wilken, Aug 1991) 
Kansil: The Backgammon Quiz Book  (Daniel Murphy, July 1997) 
Kansil: The Backgammon Quiz Book--Five problems  (Chuck Bower, Oct 1997)  [Long message]
Kennedy & Papazian: Backgammon Master Games  (Ben Fairbank+, Apr 1999) 
Kershaw: Backgammon Funfair  (Tom Keith+, July 2012) 
Kershaw: Backgammon Funfair  (Peter Bennet, May 2012) 
Lamford: 100 Backgammon Puzzles  (Harold Simon+, Oct 2001) 
Lamford: 100 Backgammon Puzzles  (Mark Driver, July 2001) 
Lamford: 100 Backgammon Puzzles--Snowie analysis  (Michael Schell, Oct 2001) 
Lamford: Improve Your Backgammon  (Alef Rosenbaum, May 2003) 
Leet: Winning Backgammon  (Ryan Long, Apr 2002) 
Leet: Winning Backgammon  (MW Book Review, July 1999) 
Lortz: Double ... now: An Authentic Cube Remedy  (Chuck Bower+, Jan 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Mabardi & Luce: Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win  (Paul Tanenbaum, Feb 1998) 
Magriel: Backgammon  (Baldo+, Mar 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Magriel: Backgammon  (Neil Kazaross, July 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
Magriel: Backgammon  (Chuck Bower, Nov 1999) 
Magriel: Backgammon  (Dean Gay, Sept 1999) 
Magriel: Backgammon  (David Montgomery+, Aug 1997) 
Magriel: Backgammon--2004 Edition  (Tom Keith+, Dec 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Magriel: Backgammon--GnuBG evaluations  (Randy, July 2008) 
Martyn: Phillip Martyn on Backgammon  (Steve Brorens+, Nov 1996) 
Munchkin: Gambling Wizards  (Chuck Bower, Aug 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
Obolensky & James: Backgammon the Action Game  (Edward D. Collins+, Oct 1999) 
Reese & Brinig: Backgammon: The Modern Game  (Al Mirpuri+, Sept 2011) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems  (Paul Epstein, July 2005) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems  (Albert Silver, Nov 2002) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems  (Tore Fredriksen, July 2002) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems  (Erik M Sørensen, May 2000) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems  (Daniel Hollis, May 2000) 
Robertie: 501 Essential Backgammon Problems #75  (Hardy Hübener+, Nov 2005) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon  (Doni+, Jan 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon  (Scott Steiner+, Sept 2002) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon  (James Eibisch, Jan 1998) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon  (Allen R. Adams, Nov 1995) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon #165  (Peter Grotrian+, Mar 2005)  [GammOnLine forum]
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon--Errata  (Matt Senecal+, Nov 2004) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon--JF rollouts  (Øystein Johansen, June 2001) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon--JF rollouts  (Alexander Nitschke, Feb 1997) 
Robertie: Advanced Backgammon--JF rollouts  (Peter Fankhauser, Jan 1996) 
Robertie: Backgammon for Winners  (Carl Tait, Aug 1998) 
Robertie: Backgammon for Winners  (Gerry Tesauro, Oct 1993) 
Robertie: Modern Backgammon  (Mattias+, Apr 2003)  [GammOnLine forum]
Robertie: Modern Backgammon  (Gregg Cattanach, Oct 2002) 
Robertie: Modern Backgammon  (Frank Mazza+, May 2002) 
Robertie: Reno 1986  (AH+, Aug 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Shiina: Cube Action 1000  (Mochy, Feb 2013) 
Steed: Backgammon: The Meanest Game  (Albert Steg, Aug 1998) 
Stern: Backgammon: The Quick Course to Winning Play  (Mark Driver, May 2001) 
Storer: Backgammon Praxis  (Chase+, Apr 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Storer: Backgammon Praxis  (Marty Storer+, May 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Thorne's Backgammon Tactics (Reprint)  (Sam Sloan, July 2012) 
Tremaine: Amazing Book of Backgammon  (Jim Wallace, Feb 1998) 
Trice: Backgammon Boot Camp--2nd edition  (Jeremy Bagai+, June 2007) 
Tzannes brothers: Backgammon Games and Strategies  (Mark Driver, Apr 2001) 
Tzannes brothers: Backgammon Games and Strategies  (Albert Steg, May 1994) 
Tzannes brothers: How Good Are You at Backgammon?  (Mark Driver, July 2001) 
Wiggins: Boards, Blots, and Double Shots  (Ned Cross+, Mar 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]
Williams: Backgammon Live in London  (Sean Williams+, June 2008) 
Woolsey & Beadles: 52 Great Backgammon Tips  (Paul Epstein+, Dec 2007) 
Woolsey & Beadles: 52 Great Backgammon Tips  (Mislav Radica+, Oct 2007)  [GammOnLine forum]
Woolsey & Jones: Understanding Backgammon  (Jon Nall+, Feb 2004) 
Woolsey: How to Play Tournament Backgammon  (John Bazigos, Oct 1994) 
Woolsey: The Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1  (Dean Gay+, Feb 2004)  [GammOnLine forum]

[GammOnLine forum]  From GammOnLine       [Long message]  Long message       [Recommended reading]  Recommended reading       [Recent addition]  Recent addition
 

  Book Suggestions
Books
Cheating
Chouettes
Computer Dice
Cube Handling
Cube Handling in Races
Equipment
Etiquette
Extreme Gammon
Fun and frustration
GNU Backgammon
History
Jellyfish
Learning
Luck versus Skill
Magazines & E-zines
Match Archives
Match Equities
Match Play
Match Play at 2-away/2-away
Miscellaneous
Opening Rolls
Pip Counting
Play Sites
Probability and Statistics
Programming
Propositions
Puzzles
Ratings
Rollouts
Rules
Rulings
Snowie
Software
Source Code
Strategy--Backgames
Strategy--Bearing Off
Strategy--Checker play
Terminology
Theory
Tournaments
Uncategorized
Variations

 

Return to:  Backgammon Galore : Forum Archive Main Page