Advanced Angles - GammonVillage Magazine

Feature Columnists: Steve Sax - Advanced Angles

Keeping Backgammon Pieces in Play

20 Oct 2009 - by Steve Sax

Oftentimes when I play in chouettes or observe my opponents in tournament matches, I cringe when I see a wake of dead checkers strewn along the battlefield that is a backgammon board.

Rating:

4.82

Advanced Angles Archive

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The 2009 Vietor Cup

22 Sep 2009 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax reports from the 2009 Vietor Backgammon Cup held in La Jolla, California on September 19, 2009.

Rating:

4.60

When Is It Right To Run Off Of The Anchor?

21 Aug 2009 - by Steve Sax

We've all been in this situation when playing backgammon. We roll a number where we can run off of an anchor in our opponent's home board but we're not sure if it is the right time to do so. What factors govern this decision?

Rating:

4.79

An Update On How To Improve Your Backgammon Game

22 Jul 2009 - by Steve Sax

When I first started writing for GammonVillage in 2002 I wrote an introductory article on ten ways to improve your backgammon game. Since then a few things have changed.

Rating:

4.83

Battle of the GammonVillage Writers: Sax vs. Rice

20 Jun 2009 - by Steve Sax

When I suggested to "Stick" Rice that he come out to L.A. to compete in the Los Angeles Backgammon Open and Super 32, I knew there was a fair chance I would have to play him at some point in the tournament.

Rating:

4.76

Backgammon Against a 'World' Champion; Joe Russell

21 May 2009 - by Steve Sax

This month, we will take a look at the player who won the World Backgammon Championship in Monte Carlo 20 years ago this summer. I remember it quite well as it was my first time there.

Rating:

4.57

Risk Assessment at the Nevada State Backgammon Tournament

20 Apr 2009 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax presents twelve interesting backgammon positions he encountered during his play at the 2009 Nevada State Backgammon Tournament.

Rating:

4.67

Winning the 2009 Grand Crystal Beaver Backgammon Jackpot Tournament

20 Mar 2009 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax reports on his performance in the Grand Crystal Beaver Jackpot at the 2009 American Backgammon Tour Midwest Backgammon Championships, held from March 20 to March 22, 2009 in Lisle, Illinois.

Rating:

4.62

Backgammon Settlements

20 Feb 2009 - by Steve Sax

At critical junctures in the backgammon game, opponents can decide to either continue or make a settlement: an agreement to end the game for a specific amount to reduce the variance and potentially gain some equity.

Rating:

4.29

NY Metro Backgammon Positions

20 Jan 2009 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax analyzes a dozen positions he encountered during the 2009 NY Metropolitan Backgammon Tournament, held on the 2nd weekend of January, 2009.

Rating:

4.89

Art Benjamin, a Backgammon Player you can Count on

20 Dec 2008 - by Steve Sax

Arthur T. Benjamin, Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, is known in popular culture as a Mathemagician. In addition, Art has another talent: he is an excellent backgammon player.

Rating:

4.77

Yes Oui Cannes

20 Nov 2008 - by Steve Sax

If you want to improve your backgammon game and make changes needed to thrive and prosper as a player, one of the things you might want to do would be to go over matches between two top players. To that I say "Yes, Oui Cannes".

Rating:

4.56

Deadly Backgammon a'Munitz'ion

20 Oct 2008 - by Steve Sax

In 2005, I had never heard of Richard Munitz. By 2006, he was just about all I heard about. Richard burst upon the backgammon scene with an impressive three wins to take the top spot on the American Backgammon Tour, nearly ten points clear of 2nd place finisher Gregg Cattanach.

Rating:

4.93

Developing Equities With Respect to Gammon Sensitivity

20 Sep 2008 - by Steve Sax

In this month's article, we will take a look at six related positions of developing equity in three different states of "Gammon Sensitivity". Those states are Gammon Go, Money, and Gammon Save (GS).

Rating:

4.54

Expert vs Expert Backgammon Match Play

20 Aug 2008 - by Steve Sax

In March of this year we looked at two expert level players and how they fared against me in two different matches. This time we will look at how expert level backgammon players fare against each other.

Rating:

4.00

Backgammon Kaz and Effect

20 Jul 2008 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax provides interesting backgammon positions and commentary on a hard-fought backgammon match against Neil Kazaross during the recent Michigan Summer Championships.

Rating:

4.91

Women in Backgammon

20 Jun 2008 - by Steve Sax

I was introduced to backgammon by my mother, Ricky Sax. She won the 1980 U.S. Open Women's backgammon championship in Reno Nevada. This column features excellent women backgammon players, their accomplishments and a few positions I have had in competition against them.

Rating:

5.00

2008 Las Vegas Super Jackpot - 2nd Round Versus Backgammon Giant Bill Robertie

20 May 2008 - by Steve Sax

After my exciting come-from-behind victory against Kit Woolsey in the first round, I had to play another Giant in the 2nd round of the 2008 Super Jackpot: two time World Backgammon Champion Bill Robertie.

Rating:

4.71

Las Vegas Super Jackpot 1st round vs Backgammon Giant Kit Woolsey

20 Apr 2008 - by Steve Sax

From time to time I like to highlight a particular player by showing a variety of interesting positions from a backgammon tournament match we competed in. This month we will take another look at Kit Woolsey as I drew him in the first round of the Super Jackpot in Las Vegas.

Rating:

4.13

Competing against the Expert Level Backgammon Player

20 Mar 2008 - by Steve Sax

Last month we looked at competition against an Advanced Level Backgammon player from the perspective of a World Class Backgammon player. This month we will take a look at two Expert Level players and see how they fare against that same player.

Rating:

4.50

Competing Against the Advanced Level Backgammon Player

20 Feb 2008 - by Steve Sax

Competitive backgammon players play at all levels of ability. While each player has strengths and weaknesses, a specific player's ability can be reckoned either subjectively, based on another player's opinion, or using objective evidence, obtained with bots such as Gnu or Snowie.

Rating:

4.87

The Next One

20 Jan 2008 - by Steve Sax

There has always been discussion about who is the best backgammon player in the world and there is enough disagreement that a bi-annual poll "The Giants of Backgammon" is taken to help determine that. What is less easy to determine is who will be one of the next great players.

Rating:

4.43

Backgammon Backgames, the Equity Continuum and the Timing Coefficient

20 Dec 2007 - by Steve Sax

In the last article of this year, I will return to the topic of "The Equity Continuum", using the 2-3 and the 1-3 backgames as examples.

Rating:

5.00

Ten Interesting Backgammon Positions From Las Vegas

20 Nov 2007 - by Steve Sax

Whenever I go to a backgammon tournament I bring my digital camera to record positions of interest. Here are the ten most interesting positions I saw at the Las Vegas Open Backgammon Tournament.

Rating:

4.79

The Five Point Backgammon Match

20 Oct 2007 - by Steve Sax

Whether you are starting off playing a five point match or a longer match that ends up with both players needing five points or less, there are many diverse cube decisions that need to be made whether you have the lead or are behind.

Rating:

5.00

The Bulgarian Express

20 Sep 2007 - by Steve Sax

In 2000 Petko Kostadinov and his family immigrated to the United States in search of the American dream. For those of you who don't know Petko, he is one fantastic backgammon player, one which I will proudly give the nickname "The Bulgarian Express" in honor of the fantastic year he is having in backgammon.

Rating:

4.50

Surviving Being Hit

20 Aug 2007 - by Steve Sax

Sometimes, when bearing in or off, your exposed checker is hit and sent to the bar. Steve Sax suggests several strategies for dealing with this backgammon dilemma.

Rating:

4.64

Backgammon Analyzed: Wachtel vs Sax - Part 2

20 Jul 2007 - by Steve Sax

In part one, we examined seven backgammon positions. Now we find the match tied at eight apiece to fifteen. Do you go for structure and let your opponent get away or do you hit attempting to contain him?

Rating:

4.67

Backgammon Analyzed: Wachtel vs Sax

20 Jun 2007 - by Steve Sax

In the first of a two part article, Steve Sax analyzes a recent backgammon match of his against Vice-World Champion backgammon player Bob Wachtel.

Rating:

5.00

Georgia (And A Few Interesting Positions) On My Mind

20 May 2007 - by Steve Sax

The South-East Backgammon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia May 4-6, 2007 is a new event on the American Backgammon Tour. I was excited and pleased to accept the invitation to visit Georgia in the springtime.

Rating:

5.00

Who should be in a Backgammon Hall of Fame?

20 Apr 2007 - by Steve Sax

The idea of a "Backgammon Hall of Fame" was posed to me last year by Hugh Sconyers, and I wondered who might be enshrined there. I could come up with quite a few names on a list and I'll discuss those shortly but first, what qualifications should a person have to be eligible?

Rating:

3.75

Giving the Advanced Player a Lesson

20 Mar 2007 - by Steve Sax

Players of all levels can benefit from getting a lesson. I especially enjoy giving "advanced" level players lessons since they have already learned many of the techniques that enhance their chances to win games but don't always employ that information to their benefit.

Rating:

4.70

Finding the Lost Treasure of Atlantis

20 Feb 2007 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax analyzes seven difficult backgammon positions he encountered at the recent Backgammon Million tournament held at the Atlantis Hotel and Resort in the Bahamas.

Rating:

4.71

The Equity Continuum

20 Jan 2007 - by Steve Sax

The equity continuum is a line on which the value of your position falls either positive or negative and the proper cube action based on perfect opponent play can be determined. Steve Sax shows examples of backgammon positions on the equity continuum

Rating:

4.90

Falafel Is Not An Appetizer (Conclusion)

20 Dec 2006 - by Steve Sax

In November's article we went over seven positions from my semi-final match versus Falafel in the Las Vegas Backgammon Open. We will go over seven new positions in the conclusion today.

Rating:

5.00

Falafel Is Not An Appetizer

20 Nov 2006 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax writes a detailed account of a match he played against high-ranked Matvey (Falafel) Nantazon during the 2006 Las Vegas Backgammon Open.

Rating:

4.50

Backgammon Adventures Across the American Pacific

20 Oct 2006 - by Steve Sax

Jake Jacobs has shared his backgammon adventures of the Asian Pacific region many times and today I will share some experiences I had in the American Pacific locale.

Rating:

5.00

Sax Versus Woolsey

20 Sep 2006 - by Steve Sax

Steve provides an in-depth analysis of a tough quarterfinal match he had against his arch-nemesis Kit Woolsey.

Rating:

4.91

Beating Weaker Players

20 Aug 2006 - by Steve Sax

When you compete against a player of a lesser skill level it is highly beneficial to be able to exploit their weaknesses by using your superior knowledge of checker play and cube action.

Rating:

4.31

Escape Cubes: Conclusion

20 Jul 2006 - by Steve Sax

In the previous two months we went over positions in which Green had one or two checkers closed out. In this month's article we will go over positions in which Green has three checkers closed out.

Rating:

5.00

More Escape Cubes

20 Jun 2006 - by Steve Sax

In last month's article we discussed positions in which your opponent had one of your checkers closed out and needed to escape from behind a five prime with a six. He either had one at the edge, two at the edge or one removed from the edge. In this month's article we will go over positions in which you have two checkers closed out.

Rating:

5.00

Escape Cubes

20 May 2006 - by Steve Sax

Many times I have been closed out and my opponent doubles or re-doubles when I have one or more checkers on the bar. I have a five prime and they have one or more checkers behind the prime. These backgammon positions can vary greatly in their relative equity and in this month's article we will take a look at some baseline positions involving that theme.

Rating:

4.82

Using Snowie To Help Your Backgammon Game

20 Apr 2006 - by Steve Sax

One of the ways you can help yourself to get better at backgammon is to use a neural net like Snowie, Gnu, or Jellyfish. There are other programs out there that are in the process of development that I don't have experience with so I will help you with the one that I use which is Snowie.

Rating:

4.57

Back Anchors

05 Apr 2004 - by Steve Sax

When we arrive at back anchor positions it is in our best interests to understand what to do regarding the cube. This will depend on the point we're holding and the structure of our opponent's board.

Rating:

4.77

Sax Vs. Culpepper

05 Mar 2004 - by Steve Sax

Steve comments on some interesting positions in his match played against Dennis Culpepper in the final of this year's Pittsburgh Masters.

Rating:

5.00

Score Sways Cube Action

05 Feb 2004 - by Steve Sax

When trailing in a match you have several advantages that your opponent doesn't such as a lower take point and the power to kill his gammons. Today we look at how the match score determines cube action in various situations.

Rating:

4.86

Pro Am Pickles - Part 2

05 Jan 2004 - by Steve Sax

Let's take a look at more interesting positions from the 2003 Pro Am match played between the teams of Sax/DiMattia and Woolsey/Kahn. What is clear is that no matter how experienced top players are they are still prone to mistakes.

Rating:

4.63

Pro Am Pickles - Part 1

05 Dec 2003 - by Steve Sax

This year Bruce DiMattia and I paired up against Kit Woolsey and Donald Kahn in the first round of the Pro Am. Let's go over some of the highlights and more difficult positions that the teams encountered.

Rating:

4.77

2003 Indiana Open

05 Oct 2003 - by Steve Sax

At the Indiana Open my three wins were against "Giant 32" list members Paul Weaver, Kit Woolsey and Ed Olaughlin. Here are some highlights from my match with Ed.

Rating:

4.80

The Matrix Re-Cubed

05 Sep 2003 - by Steve Sax

In this month's article I have constructed a matrix of positions where you have to decide what to do regarding cube ownership.

Rating:

4.79

2003 Michigan Masters

05 Aug 2003 - by Steve Sax

My luck took a turn for the better at the 2003 Michigan Masters event as I cruised through four matches besting Kit Woolsey and Frank Talbot. And it did not get any easier in the finals when I faced New England expert Herb Gurland...

Rating:

4.81

2003 Summer Match

05 Jul 2003 - by Steve Sax

The 2003 Summer Match features reigning World Champion Mads Andersen in a match we played at the Las Vegas Open in November 2001.

Rating:

4.75

The Poisoned Pawn

05 Jun 2003 - by Steve Sax

"When in doubt hit" is the mantra of many a wanna be expert, and while often correct advice, there are quite a few occasions when hitting is exactly what you DON'T want to do.

Rating:

4.80

From Behind The 6-Prime

05 May 2003 - by Steve Sax

Here's how to handle those tricky positions in which you're on an advanced anchor but trapped behind a six-prime.

Rating:

4.56

Winning With Junk Positions

05 Apr 2003 - by Steve Sax

Reference positions with closed boards and perfect distributions are often mentioned when discussing the value of a given game. More complex and harder to remember are those I refer to as "Junk Positions".

Rating:

4.95

Pittsburgh's Masters

05 Mar 2003 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax and Neil Kazaross comment on their match in the Masters flight of the recent Pittsburgh Championships.

Rating:

5.00

When To Leave The Anchor

05 Feb 2003 - by Steve Sax

Anchors are integral to winning backgammon strategy but there is a balance between reasonable maintenance of an anchor in your opponent's home board and hanging around past the point of usefulness.

Rating:

4.84

Stuplication

05 Jan 2003 - by Steve Sax

Be careful not to fall into the traps of "stuplication", the incorrect usage of duplication.

Rating:

4.22

December's Featured Match

05 Dec 2002 - by Steve Sax

This month Steve comments on an exciting match from the 2002 Pro Am in which he and his teammate, Stu Hosen, wrangled with the team of Jerry Grandell and Armando Balbi.

Rating:

5.00

November's Featured Match

05 Nov 2002 - by Steve Sax

Having drawn one of the best players in Japan, Michihito Kageyama, in the second round of the Mogami Cup at the 2001 Japan Open, I was going to need all my faculties about me to advance to the semi-finals of that tournament.

Rating:

5.00

The Time For Risks

29 Oct 2002 - by Steve Sax

Calculated risks at the appropriate time are the hallmark of solid play so take your chances when the gains outweigh the risks.

Rating:

4.83

Two-Away Four-Away

22 Oct 2002 - by Steve Sax

Today we look at what you should do when you only need two and your opponent needs four points to win the match. For starters, you should usually only double in non-gammonish positions that have limited or no contact.

Rating:

5.00

Four-Away Two-Away

15 Oct 2002 - by Steve Sax

Whether you need two and your opponent needs four to win, or the other way around, there are strategic choices regarding cube action and checkerplay that drastically affect your chances of winning the match.

Rating:

4.89

Fluid Play

08 Oct 2002 - by Steve Sax

Many Advanced players miss the opportunity to time the deployment of their pieces in an efficient manner so let's take a look at some middle game positions where you have a choice to play stiff or fluid.

Rating:

4.67

October's Featured Match

01 Oct 2002 - by Steve Sax

Steve Sax presents the 2002 Chicago Open Final with comments and rollouts on more than 30 positions.

Rating:

5.00

The Salt Index

24 Sep 2002 - by Steve Sax

Have you ever lost a really unlucky game and wondered, of all the games ever played in the history of backgammon, if this one ranks as the unluckiest of all time?

Rating:

4.53

Putting Pieces Into Play

17 Sep 2002 - by Steve Sax

Snowie is an invaluable tool and to second-guess it because it suggests a play that is not your "style" can be a costly and egotistical mistake. But sometimes you have to think beyond Snowie and make the play you think will win most often.

Rating:

4.50

Winning As The Underdog II

10 Sep 2002 - by Steve Sax

The simplest situations to understand in this realm are ones in which the match is on the line. You need to know your winning chance if you pass, and compare that to your chances if you take and redouble. Here are some benchmark positions.

Rating:

4.92

Levermann Vs. Sax

03 Sep 2002 - by Steve Sax

In the first contemporary match in the "Monthly Match" series, Steve Sax comments on a competition from the 2001 Vegas Masters in which he faced Johannes Levermann, the #3 Giant of Backgammon.

Rating:

5.00

Winning As The Underdog

27 Aug 2002 - by Steve Sax

One of the things that makes backgammon so fun is turning around a game in which you are a big underdog. This can happen when you hit a shot after being closed out, or from a deep anchor in your opponent's board... but what about the cube action?

Rating:

4.75

On For The Gammon #2

20 Aug 2002 - by Steve Sax

At every score there is a different set of decisions on whether or not to play on for the gammon. The relative factor in all of these scores is what winning that gammon will do for you.

Rating:

5.00

Playing On For The Gammon

13 Aug 2002 - by Steve Sax

An opportunity can arise in a tournament match or a money game when you need to decide if it is correct to play on for the gammon or not. Here are some explanations of the gains and drawbacks in certain scenarios.

Rating:

5.00

The Monthly Match

06 Aug 2002 - by Steve Sax

I am happy to feature the final match from the 1983 Louisville Labor Day Tournament Championship (AAA) Division which I played against the late Arthur Dickman. It is very interesting to compare the differences in strategy between now and then.

Rating:

5.00

Defending Against A Backgame

30 Jul 2002 - by Steve Sax

One of the most satisfying games to play and win is a backgame, but just as satisfying is to defend against that backgame and win a gammon or backgammon as a reward for using the correct tactics in defeating your opponents backgame objectives.

Rating:

4.80

Trap Plays - Part 2

23 Jul 2002 - by Steve Sax

When deciding whether or not to hit or trap, be aware of the integrity of your opponent's position. A very weak position might make trapping unnecessary as a gammon-producing strategy.

Rating:

4.89

Trap Plays - Part 1

17 Jul 2002 - by Steve Sax

To maximize your equity, there are a variety of positions in which to try a technique called the "trap play", where one of your opponent's checkers is squeezed off an anchor by liberating numbers that were previously obstructed from play.

Rating:

4.67

The Cobra And The Boa

09 Jul 2002 - by Steve Sax

Are you a Cobra or a Boa? Here are some examples of when you should put the bite on your opponent or when to give them the squeeze.

Rating:

4.92

The Blitz

02 Jul 2002 - by Steve Sax

One of the best strategies to win is to immobilize your opponent with the blitz.If you can put them on the bar and keep them there until you close your board you will usually win the game and sometimes a gammon.

Rating:

4.56

Tournament Tips

25 Jun 2002 - by Steve Sax

Steve reveals some great tips on how to prepare yourself for a live tournament and how to avoid being intimidated or bluffed by your opponent!

Rating:

4.76

Tournament Match Example

18 Jun 2002 - by Steve Sax

Last week in Las Vegas, I was lucky to draw some of the best in the world including Nack Ballard, Kit Woolsey, Kent Goulding and Peter Jes Thomsen. Here is my match against Thomsen with comments on significant moves and cube decisions.

Rating:

5.00

General Cube Action

11 Jun 2002 - by Steve Sax

Tournament play for me is far more fascinating than money play because of the variety of situations you can arrive at and the corresponding doubling decisions that result.

Rating:

4.33

Tactical & Strategic Play

04 Jun 2002 - by Steve Sax

Since backgammon can be conceived as a game of war, think of your checkers as having military capabilities.

Rating:

4.50

Where Advanced Players Err

28 May 2002 - by Steve Sax

There is a fine line in all aspects of the game which result in perfect play. When Advanced players attempt to execute a decision, in any aspect of the game, they can err to one side or another in varying degrees of severity.

Rating:

4.00

Advanced Angles - Introduction

21 May 2002 - by Steve Sax

Between the time when you play your first game and the time you accept the trophy for the World Championship you will go through many stages of understanding about the game of backgammon.

Rating:

4.75

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