The Backgammon Book by Oswald Jacoby and John Crawford
a review by Ray Kershaw




 

Staying with friends on New Year’s Eve 1976, I was asked if I had come across backgammon. I said all I knew was that it is played on that funny board with triangles. Well, we played for a while on a board scribbled on the inside of a corn flakes packet, with scrunched paper for the checkers, one dice and a very hazy idea of the rules. But I was hooked and within a week I had bought a board and a book and discovered that they played backgammon in a pub, the Water Rat, only five minutes from where I lived. I often wonder whether I would have persevered if the nearest backgammon had been miles away.

The book was The Backgammon Book (1970) by Oswald Jacoby (1902 – 1984) and John Crawford (1915 – 1976). They were among the leading players of the day; Jacoby had been on the 1931 committee which codified the rules of backgammon.

The Backgammon Book was the first to demonstrate how to think about backgammon by counting shots, blots and dice rolls and how to think strategically, for example by breaking contact when you are ahead. I don’t think The Backgammon Book was superseded until Magriel’s Backgammon (1976).

A wide range of topics are covered including opening rolls and replies; basic probabilities; objectives at the start of a game; doubling theory in money and tournament play; bearing off techniques; tempo hits and others. Jacoby and Crawford are tolerably though by no means entirely accurate in their analysis and some of their explanations are a bit muddled. So while The Backgammon Book is of historical interest, it is well out of date for learning the game.

There is also a lot of entertaining content on the history of backgammon, chouette rules (prior to the use of individual cubes), settlements, how to run a tournament, variations of backgammon and etiquette.

If you are interested in comparing backgammon understanding now with 40 years ago, you will enjoy The Backgammon Book. It is literate and a fun read. Used copies appear to be readily and cheaply available on Amazon.
 

Many thanx to Ray Kershaw for this review - published 9th February 2008