Recent Backgammon Articles
Playing on for Gammon in Albion: The 2013 British Open Final
Since the bot revolution of the 1990s, all major aspects of backgammon theory have been explored and our understanding of key concept such as the race vs. timing, the price of gammons at different match scores, and the play of backgames and blitzes have all been transformed.
5.00
Jake Jacobs
Still In The Hunt
10 May 2013 - by Jake Jacobs
I have another backgammon match with Wil that was recorded back in the nineties. The transcriber missed the beginning, so the match began with Wil leading 5-0.
5.00
Jeb Horton
Tournament Report - 2013 ABT Atlanta Spring Classic Backgammon Championships
02 May 2013 - by Mary Hickey
Mary Hickey reports on the 2013 ABT Atlanta Spring Classic Backgammon Championships held in Atlanta, Georgia on April 19 through April 21, 2013.
5.00
Douglas Zare
Irrelevant Alternatives
01 May 2013 - by Douglas Zare
Classical economics describes backgammon bots much better than it describes how people make decisions. In classical economics, agents consider all possibilities, and choose the option with the highest evaluation. That's very similar to the way backgammon bots choose plays.
4.29
Steve Sax
The Local Backgammon Tournament
30 Apr 2013 - by Steve Sax
Every Wednesday at 5pm at the El Torito restaurant in Burbank, California Gammon Associates Patrick Gibson runs a local backgammon tournament. The range in skill level among the players there is vast.
5.00
Stick
20 pt. Anchor Holding Game Part 2
30 Apr 2013 - by Stick
This month we're going to continue down the road to other standard but not as frequent 20pt holding games. So far, we've looked strictly at the 20pt anchor playing against the midpoint, 8pt, and perhaps another point such as the bar point or 9pt.
5.00
Jake Jacobs
Good Wil Hunting
10 Apr 2013 - by Jake Jacobs
Not all of the backgammon matches from the good old days looked like a slugfest between punch-drunk palookas. During the first half of the 1990s Wilcox Snellings was perhaps the world's best player.
4.83
Backgammon Matches
2012 ABT Pittsburgh Labor Day Backgammon Championships Final Match - Alfred Mamlet vs. Barry Silliman - Game 1
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the 11-point final match from the 2012 ABT Pittsburgh Labor Day Backgammon Championships played between Alfred Mamlet and Barry Silliman.
5.00
John O'Hagan
2011 ABT Ohio State Backgammon Championships Final Match - John O'Hagan vs. Greg Merriman - Game 1
05 Apr 2011 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the first of two 11-point Final matches from the 2011 ABT Ohio State Backgammon Championships played between John O'Hagan and Greg Merriman.
5.00
Malcolm Davis
2010 California State Backgammon Championships Final Match - Malcolm Davis vs. Wayne Jeffcoat - Game 1
30 Dec 2010 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the 11-point Final match from the 2010 California State Backgammon Championships played between Malcolm Davis and Wayne Jeffcoat.
5.00
Las Vegas
2010 Las Vegas Backgammon Open Final Match - Fred Kalantari vs. Julian Fetterlein - Game 1
17 Nov 2010 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the 17-point Final match from the 2010 Las Vegas Backgammon Open played between Fred Kalantari and Julian Fetterlein.
5.00
Carter Mattig
2010 ABT Illinois State Championship Match - Carter Mattig vs. Phil Simborg - Game 1
22 Oct 2010 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the 13-point Final match from the 2010 ABT Illinois State Championship played between Carter Mattig and Phil Simborg.
5.00
John O'Hagan
2010 ABT Florida Championship Match - John O'Hagan vs. Gregg Cattanach - Game 1
25 Aug 2010 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes the 15-point Final match from the 2010 ABT Florida Championship played between John O'Hagan and Gregg Cattanach.
5.00
Tobias Hellwag
2010 World Championship Consolation Match - Masayuki Mochizuki vs. Tobias Hellwag - Game 1
18 Aug 2010 - by Snowie 4 Pro
Snowie 4 Pro analyzes this 11-point consolation match from the 2010 World Championships played between Masayuki Mochizuki and Tobias Hellwag.
5.00
Beginner Backgammon Tutorials
Backgammon Checker Play For Idiots
Backgammon is an easy game to learn, but a hard game to play well. Over the years, I have learned several excellent guidelines to checker play that generally guide me to the best moves. I teach all of these to my students, and I know they will be helpful to you as well.
4.67
Phil Simborg
The Best Way to Learn and Improve Your Backgammon Game
13 Dec 2007 - by Phil Simborg
I have found that the best way for my students to learn backgammon is to break the game down into single, specific areas of play, discuss then independently, and then practice just that area until they get it.
4.00
Phil Simborg
Make it Pretty: Beautiful Backgammon
01 Oct 2007 - by Phil Simborg
Backgammon is all about odds. It also is possible to play excellent backgammon without calculating numbers and odds in your head constantly, simply by playing moves that "look" more appealing than others.
4.50
Phil Simborg
How To Roll Better
28 Sep 2006 - by Phil Simborg
I can help you. If you think you roll badly, or at least worse than your opponents, the truth is: YOU PROBABLY ARE! The reason, however, might surprise you.
3.00
Strategy Talk
Backgammon Brain Busters #70
28 Mar 2006 - by Michael Strato
Come on in and share your views on these tricky backgammon problems with other members of GammonVillage.
4.50
Strategy Talk
Backgammon Brain Busters #69
21 Mar 2006 - by Michael Strato
Come on in and share your views on these tricky backgammon problems with other members of GammonVillage.
4.00
Strategy Talk
Backgammon Brain Busters #68
14 Mar 2006 - by Michael Strato
Three new backgammon brain teasers to test your skills. Come on in and share your opinion on these with other GV members.
5.00
Advanced Backgammon Tutorials
So You Think Backgammon is Easy?
Here's a good example of how complex backgammon can be. There are two positions in this article where Black holds a 2-cube and is on roll. See if you can guess the proper cube action for both positions. Be prepared to be surprised.
2.60
Phil Simborg
The Backgammon Doubling Cube Made Simple
03 Mar 2008 - by Phil Simborg
What I consider one of the most irritating things in backgammon: You are rolling the dice and playing along and having a really nice time, and then all of a sudden your opponent does something extremely irritating and rude. He doubles you!
4.29
Phil Simborg
Playing for the Gammon: Separating the Women from the Girls!
21 Jan 2008 - by Phil Simborg
One of the many differences between a good backgammon player and a great player is knowing when to play on for the gammon and knowing when to turn the cube. Playing for the gammon also affects checker play.
3.86
Phil Simborg
Alternative Rules to Make Backgammon Interesting
21 Dec 2007 - by Phil Simborg
I happen to believe that backgammon is a great game, just the way it is. From time to time, however, it is fun to change the game up a bit. Here are some "alternative ways to play that you not only will enjoy, but you will find them to be interesting learning exercises as well.
4.40
Phil Simborg
You Can't Always Believe the Backgammon Bots
14 Dec 2007 - by Phil Simborg
Some people say that backgammon is now fully in the computer age. I think these people are right - but they are only right about 97 percent of the time. I believe there are still many plays that the bots simply do not fully understand.
4.20
Phil Simborg
Backgammon Match Equity Quiz
09 Oct 2007 - by Phil Simborg
Phil reveals a backgammon position he uses to teach match equity to his students. Take the quiz and see where you rate.
4.58
Phil Simborg
Backgammon Reference Positions
20 Sep 2007 - by Phil Simborg
Great backgammon players have a huge library, in their head, of "reference positions." In this article, I will attempt to give you some insights into the importance and use of key reference positions.
4.38
FIBS Board:
Re: I can't play 5 pointers
Fri, May 17, 2013 12:29 PMUSBGF:
Simborg Video Lesson: I Got Lucky
Wed, May 15, 2013 02:11 AMBig Money Bill:
Gary F autopsy
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 02:14 PM
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