'Classic Backgammon Revisited' - The Truth Is Out There

by Mark Driver
12 October 2001

A Review of 'Classic Backgammon Revisited', by Jeremy Paul Bagai, (Flaming Sparrow Press, Portland Oregon, 2001) 199 pp, US$35.

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The term 'classic' permeates all walks of life - classic cars, classic movies, classic books, and of course, classic games. What makes something a classic? Backgammon is a classic game; in one form or another, it has captivated the hearts, minds and time of millions of gamesters for thousands of years. Therein lies the key. A classic is something that has been deemed worthy of attention for generations of enthusiasts - a time-honored standard.

Since the 18th century some 100 commentators have documented the strategy and tactics of backgammon. The works of most authors have long been confined to the dusty shelves of collectors or reference libraries, while other texts continue to enjoy wide popularity and live on in revised editions or generate brisk trade in the second-hand market. These latter tomes have become the classics of the genre; titles, which evoke passion amongst the cognoscenti, books that are keenly passed on from master to student, from one player to the next, down the generations. The word of the classics' often attains the highest authority and their 'expert' advice is often taken to be the gospel truth. Thus, the student is often referred to Magriel's bible ('Backgammon'), or the works of other prophets such as Barclay Cooke, or Oswald Jacoby. But, the old ways are not necessarily the best ways; the times have changed, significantly.
 

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