Learning How to Play Backgammon Successfully – by Gene Marshall

Learning how to play backgammon successfully is probably easier to do today than in any other period of the backgammon game’s five thousand year history. We can imagine in the Ancient world the game was taught from father to son, or people learned the game by watching others play. There were no books of backgammon rules, not least because printing had not yet been invented, but also very few people could read. Closer to our own times, the game has been, and still is learned by many schoolchildren from their friends, and backgammon clubs have become quite popular.

Since the first backgammon regulations were published in the 1740’s there has been a gradual increase in the literature available about the game, and the last seventy years have seen many more guides to good play and tactics published. However, the introduction of the free backgammon game on the Web has dramatically increased the opportunities for both learning and playing the game far beyond those available previously. The Internet backgammon sites host free practice games, where you can take on a powerful backgammon computer at various skill levels. In addition they bring together a wide range of information covering everything from basic moves and layout, to advanced backgammon tactics, backgammon gambling tips and stories of some of the most famous backgammon champions.

With all these new opportunities to learn to play backgammon via the Internet, in which areas should a new player concentrate their study? First of all, it is important to point out that this board game is widely recognized as one of the easiest to learn and so you need not fear a long period of studies awaits you. Nevertheless, there are certain areas that repay a little time investment. For the novice player, becoming familiar with how to navigate their checkers around the twenty-four narrow triangular divisions (points) of the backgammon board must be a priority. The starting position for the checkers is soon memorized and how to move them in accordance to the dice throws is also quickly learned.

Once these basics of the game are mastered, the new learner is urged to take full advantage of all the practice opportunities online backgammon offers. The key areas the novice player needs to pay particular attention to are learning the opening moves, and the subjects of hitting and building primes.

In addition to the material available on the backgammon online sites, it is recommended to buy or borrow some of the many excellent backgammon books that give more comprehensive information on these principal areas of backgammon strategy. From these sources the reader learns, for example, that it is a good idea to try and occupy the second and third points in your home board area at the start of the play – this blocks in the two checkers that your opponent has positioned in your home board. In addition, the backgammon literature explains where best to hit the opponent’s blots – in the opponent’s home area where these hits are the most effective. There is much more information besides available online and offline for players keen on becoming backgammon winners.



About the Author:

Free Backgammon Allows you to Play Often and Helps Build a Strategy – an article by Gene Marshall

Free backgammon is a term most internet savvy players will be familiar with, due to the amazing growth of online backgammon gaming sites. But for anyone not familiar with the world of backgammon online a little explanation is in order. What is generally meant by “free backgammon” is not a distribution of actual backgammon games free of charge, nor is it a reference to free membership at the local backgammon club. What we’re referring to is the backgammon software downloads that are available at no charge to the player from internet backgammon sites. With a basic Internet connection and a computer that can support the high-quality 3-D video backgammon software the player can download and play the game as often as they like for free. It’s a great way to learn the game, practice your strategy and just play non-competitive backgammon for free.

The vast majority of the players who download the free backgammon software are not simply interested in free gaming. In fact the main reasons for accessing backgammon Internet sites and downloading their software isn’t necessarily the interest in backgammon gambling but the ability to simply play for free, have fun and meet other avid players from all around the world. It’s like the world’s biggest backgammon club right at your fingertips.

But other players also see free games as a chance to practice for the big tournaments. The online backgammon industry has developed a reputation for hosting regular backgammon tournaments with high value prizes. These competitions are arranged at all levels, and even a player that doubts they have the skills to get to the final round and win the main prize, can hope for winning a substantial secondary prize if they are eliminated from the tournament in one of the higher qualifying rounds.

In addition to the skilled games, or those who hope to join their ranks, the businessperson who looks forward to play backgammon for relaxation, or to make a small gamble now and again, also finds the online sites a valuable resource. These players find it hard to find the time to go to their local backgammon club and they appreciate the chance to play the game when it fits in with their schedule. For example, if you finish a busy meeting in the early hours of the morning and wish to unwind over a game of backgammon, you will find someone to play against online or, if you prefer, you can play against a backgammon computer.

Another important group of online backgammon players are the new players to the game. A good proportion of these will want to access the articles and instructions available online to learn the backgammon rules. They will also look forward to the chance to practice how to play backgammon against one of the powerful backgammon computers where you can select a game at a level that suits your skills. Later they can find human opponents of a similar or slightly high skill level to further improve their play.

The Author:

Internet backgammon professional Gene Marshall writes for several top backgammon web sites. The author contributes articles about online backgammon and recommended backgammon playing strategies. More works by Gene Marshall related to backgammon can be obtained on the net.

Behind Every Backgammon Winner is a Successful Backgammon Strategy – by Gene Marshall

Just as there is said to be a woman behind every successful man, experienced players of the backgammon board game know that behind every successful backgammon player is a sound backgammon strategy. Since so many of us learn to play backgammon while children, and we find it easy to quickly learn the backgammon instructions and think that we know all there is to know about backgammon setup, we may come to think that the game doesn’t require the same level of thought as some other board games. Should we ever have the opportunity to attend a backgammon tournament, or see experienced players in some other context, this illusion is soon dispelled. The presence of the dice in the backgammon set up certainly does indicate that there is an element of luck in the game, but the probabilities of a player winning on the basis of fortunate dice throws alone are so remote as to be statistically insignificant. Even if the throws of the dice always seem to be in favor of a certain player, if that player lacks a knowledge of backgammon strategy they are in no position to exploit their good fortune. Thus, it would not be surprising to find an experienced player soon defeat the inexperienced player with the good dice throws.

Acquiring a sound backgammon strategy is therefore essential for anyone who enjoys winning their backgammon games. Fortunately, today there are many ways to learn how to play good backgammon. A good place to start is one of the backgammon clubs that are found in many cities around the world. Even if you are a complete novice, there is so much to learn by watching the play of more experienced players. When you feel that you have reached a level where you can put up a good match against a skilled player, your learning progresses to a further stage as you develop your skills through experience. Although there is no substitute for actual play, there is also much that can be learned from a perusal of the many books that have been written over recent years describing winning backgammon strategies, and offering tips for improving your play.

The appearance of Internet backgammon sites over the last few years have provided a wealth of opportunities to learn to play backgammon to a high level. All that is required is a connection to the Internet for the backgammon download brings free backgammon the game to your computer. There is no longer any need to go out and buy a backgammon board, checkers, dice and throwing cup since these are all presented to you in virtual form, and with a level of color quality and 3-D appearance whose quality shows the great investment made in the setting up of these gaming sites. Whether you choose to build up your playing skills in games against a challenging backgammon computer, or gain experience playing against fellow enthusiasts from around the world, Internet backgammon has the answer. The sites also contain valuable information on how to improve your game.

About the Author:

Supplementary readings and works that were written by Gene Marshall about online backgammon can be accessed on the internet. Online backgammon specialist Gene Marshall is commissioned by many renowned backgammon magazines. The writer focuses on writings about where to play backgammon and the backgammon game.

It is about Backgammon strategy. 

Backgammon has an established opening theory, although it is less detailed than that of games like chess. The tree of checker positions expands quickly because of the number of possible dice rolls and the moves available on each turn. Recent computer analysis has offered more insight on opening moves, but the midgame is reached quickly. After the opening moves, backgammon players frequently rely on some established general strategies, and will combine and switch among them to adapt to changing conditions as a game unfolds.

The most direct and sometimes the most successful strategy is simply to avoid being hit, trapped, or getting into mutually blocked stand-offs. The running game describes a strategy of moving as quickly as possible around the board, and is most successful when a player is already ahead in the race.

A holding game is a strategy wherein a player keeps a point high in his opponent’s board or on his opponent’s bar point, as the game progresses. The player may gain an advantage by hitting an opponent’s blot from the held point, or by rolling large doubles that allow the player to advance both checkers and begin a running game.

The priming game involves building a wall of checkers, called a prime, ideally covering six consecutive points. This obstructs opposing checkers that are behind the blockade. The prime is usually built somewhere between the 11-point and the 2-point, and then shuffled into the home board as the game progresses.Backgammon Galore, "Backgammon FAQ", What is a prime?. Retrieved on August 9, 2006. A blitz describes a strategy of closing the home board as quickly as possible while keeping one’s opponent on the bar. Because the opponent has difficulty re-entering from the bar or escaping, a player can quickly gain a running advantage and win the game.

A backgame is a strategy of placing two or more anchors (points with two or more checkers) in one’s opponent’s home board, while building a prime in one’s own home board. The anchors obstruct the opponent’s checkers, and create opportunities to hit them as they move toward the home board. The backgame is generally used only to salvage a game wherein a player is already significantly behind; using a backgame as an initial strategy is usually unsuccessful.

Duplication refers to the placement of checkers in such a way that advantageous dice rolls for one’s opponent are the same for a number of desirable moves. For example, a player may position all of her blots in such a way that her opponent must roll a 2 in order to hit one, reducing the probability that any blot will be hit. Diversification refers to a complementary tactic of placing one’s own checkers in such a way that more numbers are useful.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material adapted from the Wikipedia article "Backgammon".
[tags] backgammon, backgammong strategy, backgammon game, play backgammon [/tags]