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Phil Simborg
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Like most serious backgammon players, I really want to improve my game. So like most I make a lot of use of Snowie and GNUBG to analyze matches and positions and look at my mistakes. The problem is that most of us don't really learn by looking at our mistakes.
By "learn" I mean internalize. Understand. Know the reasons why one play or decision is better than the others. And do you know why I know most of us don't learn from our mistakes? Because I have been one of those stupid people myself for many years.
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Feedback about this article:
1.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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13 May 2008 19:03 EST
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Mr. Simborg made a good point. I have experienced the same frustration trying to learn from my computer backgammon game (Gnubg). However, the process he used to switch from memorizing to learning was not well explained. I would like to know more about where he got the advice he really needed. Does he have a lot of friends he corresponds with on a regular basis? Did a few key pieces of advice about how to manipulate Snowie help? Did he pay for a tutor? Information like this would be very helpful. 2.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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13 May 2008 19:22 EST
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When I play against Snowie, I keep a list of blunders on a pad with headings like "O has one back". Then every now and then I look them over and see definite patterns to my errors. 3.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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13 May 2008 19:37 EST
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Great article Phil, and thanks for all of the time you devote to sharing your experiences with the rest of us. Another interesting thing to consider is what we look at in the Snowie analysis. I used to click from error to error reviewing each and trying to understand where my misconception was. But it is not only the errors that need reviewing. What about the plays where we made the right choice, but were unsure? It is very interesting to see how close the other choices under consideration actually were. Or, sometimes it is just helpful to review our correct choices and to understand why they were correct, therebye reinforcing a possible uncertain decision. 4.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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14 May 2008 09:56 EST
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In response to Mike W, I am fortunate enough to have several mentors I send tough positions to and they give me excellent analysis and advice. They include Perry Gartner and John O'Hagan, and I also get lots of good help from others including Steve Sax, Malcolm Davis, David Rockwell, Dana Nazarian, Mary Hickey, Neil Kazaross and Mary Franks. I have also taken lessons from Kit, Nack, Perry, Sly, and Howard Ring. For the past several years, I have been giving lessons and coaching to beginner and intermediate players, mostly on line. (When they become Open players, I pass them on to one of the above for a higher, better level of coaching.) In response to Alan Grunwald's comments, I agree completely that you often miss some very interesting positions if you only review the errors. After I do a Snowie Eval, I no longer move from error to error...when I have time, I go through the entire match move by move. You can do this by hitting the letter "T" to move forward and "R" to go back. 5.
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RE: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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14 May 2008 15:08 EST
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Thanks for the information - all of you. It was very helpful in filling out my understanding of "learning" from my mistakes. I do read and follow the comments on matches from another site. The exercise is very helpful, but I often feel like I'm just shooting in the dark. Without some experienced guidance on a regular basis, the learning curve seems to be a bit steep. Not that I'm not willing to tackle it, just that it seems more hit or miss. 6.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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15 May 2008 10:25 EST
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Mike: The best way to learn this game is in pieces...not just by looking at games to discover mistakes. I spend 2 lessons on just opening moves...what is right and why. At least 2 lessons on just the odds of the game. At least 2 lessons on just bearing in and bearing off. Etc. I have divided the game into 24 areas of play, and it's only when you tackle one area at a time that you really 'LEARN' the reasoning behind the plays and decisions. Shoot me an email at psimborg@sbcglobal.net and I'll send you the 24 areas and a study guide that will help you. 7.
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Re: How To Learn From Your Mistakes |
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15 May 2008 10:49 EST
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Good article! Now I'll have to check out that "dice" button myself! Ray
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