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Looking down, I could see
I was out of time. I could get hit but then I could recirculate my
man. After all, I’ve been getting off the bar easily all evening.
In fact, I’ve only fanned three times. And if I’m hit, I’m sure I
can develop a backgame. But, if she gets to prime me, I may be
looking at a gammon.
What the heck am I talking about? Only the world’s oldest known
board game (5,000 years old according to some
estimates). It is far more than a game. It’s a philosophy.
It’s a logic exercise. It’s a tool for emotional perseverance.
It’s a game that parallels life itself.
OK, my bias clearly shows and for many of you this may seem like a
statement that can’t be supported. However, after playing for a
while, you will begin to dramatically increase your favorable
outcomes. The parallels with life and the universe are remarkable.
Backgammon is the epitome of a game of risk and reward.
So how is it played and who would enjoy playing it? OK, first
things first. No particular personality excels in backgammon;
however, better players exhibit the following attributes.
Visualization: Backgammon is all about the
relationships between 15 nice checkers and 15 mean checkers (your
opponent’s). Where are they positioned? Are they too far apart and
can’t communicate? Or are they stacked close together and can’t
distribute themselves effectively?
Planning: Understanding the ebb and flow of the game
is essential. Do I take short-term risks for future gains? Do I
run or do I stay? Sounds a lot like life doesn’t it?
Analytics: For many who have struggled with math,
there is good news. You do not need to be a math wizard to be a
strong player. Yes, there are some statistical concepts that must
be learned. For some people, these come easy. Others just need
more time. But, everyone gets it.
Intuition: Reading your opponent and knowing
yourself are the most powerful tools in backgammon. Position play
often relies on anticipating your opponent’s response. Observing
their behavior in similar positions is the key. Intuition may
override analytics (or vice versa) depending on the position.
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So how do you play? There are
numerous sites on the web that can help you (I’ll list them at the
end of this article). But let’s start with the initial set up.
The board on the right, (adapted from Wikipedia), shows the
starting position. Assume you are black and your opponent is red.
You will move your checkers counterclockwise while red moves
clockwise. No one knows where the board setup comes from but you
can see that your 15 checkers are initially positioned on only 4
points (those triangular thingies). Red’s checkers are positioned
exactly opposite yours. |
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You move your checkers in response to the roll of the dice, but
only in the direction shown. The goal is to get all your checkers
into the your Home Board and then to “bear them off” the board.
There are only a few basic playing rules:
• A turn consists of one roll of two dice.
• You may move one or more checkers the sum of your dice roll. For
instance, if you roll a 3-4 you may move one checker 3 points and
another checker 4 points or you may move one checker 7 points.
• A point is “made” if you have two or more checkers on it.
Your opponent may not land on that point.
• A single checker on a point is known as a “blot”. If your
opponent lands on your blot, the blot is “hit” and is
placed on the “bar”.
• A checker on the bar must enter the opponent’s home board at the
beginning of his or her next turn. If the checker can not enter
(because the opponent has made the needed points), that player
will have “fanned” and will lose his or her turn.
So those are the basics. They are much easier to see in front of a
board. But then again, this is not intended to be a treatise on
backgammon play. There are numerous books, websites, and
backgammon robot games (affectionately known as the “bots”) that
can instruct you. You can easily be up and playing in half an
hour.
So what can backgammon teach you? First off, never give up. In
backgammon as in life, it is often possible to turn around the
most dire situation to a big win. The strongest players rarely
give up. They position themselves to always remain in the game
despite significant odds against them.
Second, one can create “luck”. Great backgammon players
continuously position their checkers to provide the most favorable
outcomes from each roll of the dice. Deciding when to take chances
or when to play conservatively is the secret for success.
Third, favorable or unfavorable dice sequences may persist for a
long time. Maintaining your composure during these sequences is
paramount to a winning attitude. A weak player beats a strong
player when the dice gods embrace him. However, over time the
rolls will even out and the stronger player will persevere. Again,
as in life, one must learn to survive the bad rolls and cherish
the good ones.
Finally, backgammon is fun and provides a great sense of
accomplishment. As in most sports, there is a sense of “being in
the zone”, not unlike gracefully skiing a challenging run or
hitting a pure golf shot. At its best, play flows naturally and is
rewarded. At its worst, movement is constrained and unnatural.
The depth of the game is considerable and it is only recently that
computer programs have grown strong enough to play at the
world-class level. The permutations needed to evaluate backgammon
play require thousands of times more computing power than
equivalent chess programs.
There are many books and websites devoted to backgammon. There are
also a number of sites that allow you to learn and play. This
short list will get you started.
Good luck and may the dice gods be with you.
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