Recent Backgammon Articles

Philet Of Fish

29 Jan 2020 - by Jake Jacobs

One of the forums for backgammon discussions that has evolved in recent years is Facebook. Using tools like XG it is easy to create and post positions, to ask the world for its opinion, and then depending upon whom you have befriended, and who might be paying attention, you will get feedback.

 

Rating:  5.00
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Charlie McCarthy or Mortimer Snerd by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

Charlie McCarthy or Mortimer Snerd

21 Jan 2020 - by Jake Jacobs

Once upon a time there was a backgammon player named John Brussel. John played, directed, and conducted Calcutta auctions with dubious humour. He was a nice guy, and since his passing is missed.

Rating:  5.00
Tora Tora Burning Bright by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

Tora Tora Burning Bright

22 Apr 2019 - by Jake Jacobs

Back in the last century when I first played in the Japan Open I called readers' attention to the one Japanese player then whom I believed was playing at a world class level.

Rating:  4.75
Backgammon - Pure Strategy Reviewed by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

Backgammon - Pure Strategy Reviewed

15 Apr 2019 - by Jake Jacobs

Marc Brockmann Olsen is certainly ambitious. His previous book promised to take the reader from basics to badass; his new one wants to teach us how to think like a neural net.

Rating:  4.67
Birthday Bash and Vegas Cash by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

Birthday Bash and Vegas Cash

08 Apr 2019 - by Jake Jacobs

Last article I talked about picking the brains of some notable experts at the Blackjack Ball after party. The Ball and after party were enhancements to my visit, and spending time with my brother and his family were a prime motivator, but another compelling reason was that I had been "ordered" to attend.

Rating:  5.00
And Where She Stops by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

And Where She Stops

29 Jun 2018 - by Jake Jacobs

Last month I administered Paul Magriel's Genius Quiz. While your brains are still reeling, I'll revisit it. But first, to keep you sharp, here is a bonus quiz!

Rating:  4.20
Magriel Genius Quiz by Jake Jacobs
Jake Jacobs

Magriel Genius Quiz

14 Apr 2018 - by Jake Jacobs

The late Paul Magriel was one in a million. I don't mean that as a hyperbolic compliment, I mean it literally. He was a genius, and the two statements are related. Genius is an overused term. Mensa members are called geniuses, but all it takes for membership is an IQ score that falls two or more standard deviations from the mean

Rating:  4.50
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Backgammon Matches

2012 ABT Pittsburgh Labor Day Backgammon Championships Final Match - Alfred Mamlet vs. Barry Silliman - Game 1

10 Oct 2012 - by Snowie 4 Pro

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.

 

Rating:  5.00
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2011 ABT Ohio State Backgammon Championships Final Match - John O'Hagan vs. Greg Merriman - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
2010 California State Backgammon Championships Final Match - Malcolm Davis vs. Wayne Jeffcoat - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
2010 Las Vegas Backgammon Open Final Match - Fred Kalantari vs. Julian Fetterlein - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
2010 ABT Illinois State Championship Match - Carter Mattig vs. Phil Simborg - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
2010 ABT Florida Championship Match - John O'Hagan vs. Gregg Cattanach - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
2010 World Championship Consolation Match - Masayuki Mochizuki vs. Tobias Hellwag - Game 1 by Snowie 4 Pro
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.

Rating:  5.00
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Beginner Backgammon Tutorials

Backgammon Checker Play For Idiots

03 Jan 2008 - by Phil Simborg

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.

 

Rating:  4.69
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The Best Way to Learn and Improve Your Backgammon Game by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.10
Make it Pretty: Beautiful Backgammon by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.54
How To Roll Better by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  3.13
Backgammon Brain Busters #70 by Michael Strato
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.

Rating:  4.50
Backgammon Brain Busters #69 by Michael Strato
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.

Rating:  4.00
Backgammon Brain Busters #68 by Michael Strato
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.

Rating:  5.00
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Advanced Backgammon Tutorials

So You Think Backgammon is Easy?

29 Jul 2008 - by Phil Simborg

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.

 

Rating:  2.60
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The Backgammon Doubling Cube Made Simple by Phil Simborg
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!

Rating:  4.37
Playing for the Gammon:  Separating the Women from the Girls! by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.00
Alternative Rules to Make Backgammon Interesting by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.40
You Can't Always Believe the Backgammon Bots by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.27
Backgammon Match Equity Quiz by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.58
Backgammon Reference Positions by Phil Simborg
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.

Rating:  4.39
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