BackGammon Clubs in Colorado

Boulder County BackGammon Club
Contact: Lynda Clay. 303/791-0271
Venue: C. B. & Potts Restaurant; 555 Zang Street; Broomfield, Colorado
Meeting: 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 PM.

Colorado BackGammon Association
Contact: Lynda Clay. 303/791-0271
Venue: La Loma Restaurant; 2527 W. 26th Avenue; Denver, Colorado
Meeting: 4th Sunday except September and December at 1:00 PM.

Denver BackGammon Club
Contact: Lynda Clay. 303/791-0271
Venue: Bennigan's; 1699 S. Colorado Blvd.; Denver, Colorado
Meeting: 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 7:00 PM

BackGammon Clubs in California

Gammon Associates
Contact: Patrick Gibson. 818/901-0464
Venue: Acapulco Cantina; 3113 W. Olive Street; Burbank, California
Meeting: Tuesday at 6:00 PM

Venue: A.R. Private Club; 8471 Beverly Blvd., Suite 201; Los Angeles, California
Meeting: Sunday at 2:00 PM

BackGammon Club of San Diego
Contact: Tom Fahland. 858/472-1516
Venue: Coast Cafe in the Embassy Suites Hotel; 4550 La Jolla Village Drive; La Jolla, California
Meeting: Tuesday at 6:00 PM

BackGammon By The Bay
Contact: Ted Chee. 831/688-9722
Venue: Peking Express Restaurant; 2068 Center Street.; Berkeley, California
Meeting: 2nd Saturday monthly at 12:00 PM

Venue: Britannia Arms Pub & Restaurant; 1087 De Anza Boulevard; Cupertino, California
Meeting: 4th Saturday monthly at 1:00 PM

Restaurant Roy BackGammon
Contact: Roy Gandy. 805/966-5636
Venue: Restaurant Roy; 7 West Carrilo Street; Santa Barbara, California
Meeting: First Monday monthly at 7:00 PM

BackGammon Clubs in Arizona

Arizona BackGammon Club
Contact: Pete Campbell. 602/279-0215
Venue: Rosie McCaffrey's Irish Pub; 906 E. Camelback, Phoenix, Arizona
Meeting: 1st Monday monthly at 7:00 PM

Phoenix BackGammon Club - USBL
Contact: Dan Pelton. 602/296-4307
Venue: Glendale Gaslight Inn; 5747 W. Glendale Avenue; Glendale, Arizona
Meeting 3rd Saturday monthly at 12:00 Noon (United States Backgammon League affiliate. FREE entry)

Jorge Pan of Argentina Wins 2007 Backgammon World Championship

Jorge Pan of Argentina is the 2007 Backgammon World Champion!

Jorge Pan has been crowned the 2007 World Champion after defeating Alvaro Savio of Brazil.

The final score was 26 - 23 in a 25 point match that took just under 4 hours.

An unbelievable situation occurred in the final game: the score was 2 away, 3 away in favor of Savio.

Savio reached a position of advantage and he cubed, however according to Falafel, the match commentator, the cube was incorrect due to the match score.

Savio offered the cube to Pan who immediately re-cubed to 4 thus creating DMP.

The crowd cheered!

During this final game, Savio rolled a 6-3 in the following position, which was a very awkward roll to play. In the process of moving back and forth with the checkers to figure out his play, he knocked the dice to 5-3 and Pan didn't notice.

Savio played 10-7 and 8-3 * which played incredibly better than the initial roll of 6-3. Pan didn't notice or say anything, therefore, the play stood. There was a referee in the match, however, he cannot speak up unless asked by a player.

Pan subsequently missed the shot and the position seemed pretty hopeless, as Savio subsequently built a six-prime.

However, a few rolls later, with Savio looking to bring home his final checkers and close out the win, he threw a dreadful double 3 - his only play was to break his prime and in doing so, give Pan new life. Savio dominated until Pan chose to break his 6 point in a desperate attempt to make a hit, and it paid off HUGE! Savio danced endlessly on the 4 point board allowing Pan to scramble 3 checkers around the board for the win.

The crowd was yelling and enjoying every second of this thrilling game!

Pan pulled it off and, deservedly won this amazing World Championship final!

More results and pictures from tonight's Award Banquets to come.

Can I play low number first when bearing off?

Yes, you may play your numbers in either order, as long as each number is played legally. Using your low number first can sometimes get you out of a sticky situation. Here are some examples:

Whites rolls 4-1: If White plays 4 first, he takes the checker off the four-point and is forced to hit with the 1, leaving two blots. But if he plays the 1 first, moving from the four-point to the three-point, he can then use the 4 to remove the checker from the three-point. This wastes a pip, but it leaves no shots.

Whites rolls 5-4: If White plays his 5 first, he ends up with a gap on his two-point—not good if he rolls a 2 later. If he plays the 4 first, he fills the gap on the two-point and increases his chances of getting off in two more rolls.

BackGammon: Can I pass when it's my turn?

No, you must play your roll if there is any legal way to do so. If you can't play all of your numbers, you must play as many as you can. So if you roll and can only play three of your four 6's, that's what you must do.

U.S. BackGammon Tournaments Rules

1.0 Proprieties:
1.1 INTERPRETATION. The Tournament Rules and Procedures cannot, and should not, regulate all possible situations that may arise during a game. No set of rules should deprive the Director of his freedom of judgment or prevent him from finding the solution dictated by fairness and compatible with the circumstances of a particular case.

1.2 SCOPE. Except where otherwise specified, the commonly accepted rules of backgammon apply.

1.3 STAFF. A knowledgeable and disinterested Director or Directors, advised by a Tournament Committee, shall represent the Tournament.

1.4 ENTRIES. All entries are subject to the approval of the Tournament. Reasons for exclusion need not be stated. Where more than one Tournament division exists, an entrant may be restricted from playing in a lower division.

1.5 AIDS. Once a match is in progress, neither player may use mechanical or written aids except to keep score. Player may forbid his opponent from wearing headphones.

1.6 LANGUAGE. The official Tournament language is English. Speech in any other language will not be permitted between players and/or spectators while matches are in progress.

1.7 SPECTATORS. Spectators should remain silent while observing a match. Spectators have no right to draw attention to any misplays or comment on plays. Player may request Director to bar one or more spectators from viewing his match.

2.0 Regulations
2.1 PLACE. Matches shall be played in designated Tournament areas.

2.2 TIME. Matches shall start promptly at the appointed times. Each player is entitled to one 5 minute recess (between games) in a match not exceeding 13 points in length. Longer matches, or those of significant importance may be allowed additional recess time.

2.3 PENALTY POINTS. Unless excused as necessary by Director, time and recess violations shall be penalized by points awarded to opponent. The first penalty point will be awarded 15 minutes after the appointed starting time and accrue thereafter at the rate of 1 point for each 5 minute delay. When the penalty points amount to more than half of the number needed to win the match, the absent player will have then forfeited. To avoid penalties, player should secure Director's consent when leaving Tournament site for more than 10 minutes.

2.4 SLOW PLAY. Players are expected to play at a reasonable pace. Director may warn an unduly slow player, and thereafter award penalty points to his opponent if unreasonable slowness persists. A time clock may be used to monitor slow matches.

2.5 MONITORS. Director may appoint a monitor to observe a match on his own initiative, or at the request of a player. Monitor shall have full powers to protect each player against opponent's irregularities.

3.0 Preliminaries
3.1 EQUIPMENT. Either player may demand that both use, when available and approved by the Director: (a) precision dice (over any others) and/or (b) lipped dice cups (over unlipped).

3.2 PREFERENCES. If necessary, the backgammon board, direction of play, choice of checker color and seat location shall be decided by roll of the dice prior to the commencement of play.

3.3 EQUIPMENT CHANGES. Director may replace defective equipment at any time. Otherwise the four dice initially selected shall be used throughout. Either player may demand a mixing of dice prior to the start of any game. In this case, the demanding player shakes the four dice together in one cup and rolls them out. Opponent selects a die-then roller-then opponent-with roller taking the last die.

4.0 Play of the game/irregularities
4.1 RANDOM ROLLS. Dice are strictly a means of obtaining random numbers; any other use violates the rules and the spirit of backgammon. A legal roll consists of shaking the dice vigorously in a dice cup and then simultaneously tossing them out at a discernible height above the playing surface, allowing them to bounce and roll freely.

4.2 VALID ROLLS. Both dice must come to rest flat (not cocked) on the playing surface to the right of the bar; otherwise they must be rerolled.

4.3 MOVING. Player should move clearly, using only one hand to play the checkers. Player shall reenter any checker on the bar before moving any other checker. No player should move any checkers during an opponent's turn. Deviations from proper moving procedure may result in an adverse ruling in case of dispute.

4.4 CHECKER HANDLING. Checkers which have been hit must be kept on the bar pending reentry. Checkers which have been borne off must be kept off the entire playing surface for the rest of the game. Failure to observe these procedures may result in an adverse ruling in case of dispute, or redress to an opponent harmed thereby.

4.5 LIFTING DICE. Player concludes his turn by lifting either or both of his dice. But with notice to opponent, he may reposition the dice on the playing surface to facilitate moving the checkers. After lifting his dice, player may change his move only upon an opponent's demand to replay an illegal move.

4.6 PREMATURE ACTIONS. No player may roll or turn the cube until the opponent has picked up his dice. A premature roll must be rerolled. A premature double shall stand if otherwise valid. An opponent who has yet to complete his turn may then do so with foreknowledge of the premature double.

4.7 ERROR IN SETUP. An incorrect starting position must be corrected prior to the fifth roll of the game. Thereafter the existing setup becomes official. Players starting with less than 15 checkers in play may still be gammoned or backgammoned.

4.8 ILLEGAL MOVES. Upon drawing attention to an illegal move, player may condone it or demand that opponent legally replay the entire roll. Player condones a prior illegal move by rolling his own dice or turning the cube.

4.9 COMPLETION. Games must be rolled to completion, unless ended by a pass of a double or redouble, or conceded in no-contact positions as single game, gammon or backgammon losses. No game may be cancelled and replayed, or settled. Matches must be played to the appointed length.

4.10 REPORTING RESULTS. Final score shall be reported to Tournament Official by match winner. Official shall verify and post a correct result on draw sheet. Once posted, an erroneous result may still be corrected in a timely manner, but not after either player has begun a succeeding match.

5.0 Scoring/Doubling
5.1 KEEPING SCORE. Each player shall keep a running match score and compare his score with opponent's at the start of every game. In the event of a scoring dispute, a player not keeping score will be at a disadvantage.

5.2 CUBE SETUP. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the doubling cube begins each game centered with the "64" side face up. In the event of a dispute, the current position and level of the cube will strongly influence Director's ruling. Exception: the cube may be removed during the Crawford game (see Rule 5.5).

5.3 CUBE RULES. Gammons and backgammons will count at all times. It is not necessary to double an opponent in order to win a gammon or backgammon.

5.4 CUBE HANDLING. Player may double when it is his turn only before rolling the dice, but not after rolling cocked dice. To double or redouble, player moves the cube toward his opponent at the higher value while saying "double" or words to that effect. To take, one draws the cube toward himself while saying "take" or words to that effect. To reject the double, one says "pass" or words to that effect, enters the score and resets the board. The cube should not be handled capriciously; either verbal or physical acts may be interpreted as cube actions.

5.5 CRAWFORD RULE. The Crawford Rule will apply to all matches. When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9 point match), the doubling cube will be out of play for one game. In subsequent games following the Crawford game, the cube may be turned at first legal opportunity.

6.0 Contentions
6.1 DISPUTES. When a dispute arises, all players must leave dice, checkers, cube and score unchanged while Director is summoned. Violations by player in this area are most serious and create a presumption in favor of opponent.

6.2 TESTIMONY. Any player may argue issues of fact or rule. Spectators, except to report cheating, may testify only at Director's request.

6.3 APPEALS. Player may appeal Director's ruling, but he must do so promptly, while timely redress may still be obtained. To resolve an appeal, Director shall convene a committee of three knowledgeable and disinterested backgammon players at once. Committee shall hear relevant testimony and arguments, and may overturn Director's ruling by majority decision. This exhausts player's right to appeal.

BackGammon Tournaments Fundamentals

Equipment:
- A backgammon board.
- Checkers: 30 (15 of each color).
- Two pair of dice (1 pair for each player).
- A doubling cube.
- Two dice cups.

Board Set-Up
A game in tournament play starts as shown below. The board is composed of 24 triangular-shaped divisions known as points. The board is also divided down the center by a partition known as the bar. The two halves are called the outer and home boards. For the purpose of convenience the board diagram has been numbered.

Object of the Game
The first player to remove all his checkers wins a game.

The Mechanics of the Game
Players must the dice cups for rolling and must roll on the right side of the bar at all times. To start a game, each player rolls one die and the player with the higher number moves first using the both numbers. If the players roll the same number, both re-roll. The players then alternate rolling and moving using their own dice.

Players move their checkers around the board in opposite directions. A player moves his checkers according to the numbers shown on the dice. When rolling the dice, both dice must land completely flat within the player's right half of the board and on the playing surface. If not, the dice are cocked and the player must re-roll both dice.

The numbers shown on the dice are considered individually and not as a total. A point is blocked when the opponent has two or more of his checkers on that point. A player may move over blocked points but may not land on them. Bear in mind that, when moving a single checker for the total shown by the two dice, a player is actually making two moves with the one checker, each move according to the number shown on each dice.

Compulsory Move
A player must use both numbers rolled whenever possible. If he can play either number but not both, he must move using the larger number. If a player cannot make any moves, play passes to his opponent. A player may not voluntarily pass his turn.

Hints on Moving the Checkers
The points on the board have alternating colors. When moving an even number, a checker will land on the same color as moved from. Odd numbers will move to the other color. A move from the 9-point to the 5-point is a move of 4 since the bar does not count as a point.

Rolling Doubles
When a player rolls the same number on both dice, known as doubles, the player moves that number 4 times. The player may move one checker all four times or any combination of checkers the player chooses with the rules above applying.

Blots
A single checker on a point is a blot. Since checkers of opposite colors cannot occupy the same point, when a player lands on an opponent's blot he removes that checker and replaces it with his own. The opponent's checker must be placed on the bar.

The Bar
The bar is the middle strip that separates the two halves of the board. Once a checker has been hit and placed on the bar, the player must re-enter it into play before moving any other checker. A hit checker returns to play by moving the checker from the bar to a point in the opponent's home board indicated by the numbers on the next roll. For example, if a player rolls 5 and 2, he may enter a checker either on the five or two point, so long as two or more of the opponent's checkers does not occupy the prospective points. If your opponent has a closed board (all points in his home board with two or more checkers on each point) and you have a checker on the bar, you automatically lose your turn to move but not to use the cube (explained later).

Bearing Off
Bearing off means removing checkers by the rolls of the dice. A player may not start bearing off until all 15 of his checkers are in his home board. If there is no checker on the point indicated by the die, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on the higher-numbered points, the player may remove a checker from the highest point on which his checkers resides.

If a checker is hit after bearoff, that checker goes to the bar and must re-enter as described earlier. The player may not bear off another checker until that hit checker has returned to his home board.

Match Play
In tournaments, players compete by playing a match. The Director specifies the match length. Score cards are provided and should be used by both players by keeping a running score. Point(s) won are added to the player's total. The first player to reach the designated match length is the winner. There is no advantage to winning a match by more points than the match length. The winner advances but otherwise the match score bears no importance in the tournament's outcome.

Scoring
The player who bears off all his checkers first wins a game. A double game (gammon) is won if your opponent has not removed any of his checkers by the time you have removed all of your checkers. The winner gets two times the value of the cube for a gammon. A triple game (backgammon) is won if the opponent has not removed any checkers and still has one or more checkers in your home board or on the bar. The winner gets three times the value of the cube for a backgammon.

Doubling Cube
The doubling cube is used in tournament backgammon. The value of the cube at the end of each game and whether the game was a gammon or backgammon determines the points won each game. The six values on a cube are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. The cube starts at 1 although it sits with the 64 face up. The starting position of the cube is centered between the players and visible to both players.

Either player can make the initial double. The player doubling thinks he is favored to win the game and wants to play the current game for 2 points instead of 1 point. The cube may only be offered before a player rolls his dice. A double is offered by a player placing the cube on the playing surface and saying I double to 2. The player being doubled may either accept or decline the cube. If the cube is declined, the game is over and the player offering the cube wins (in this case) 1 point. If the cube is accepted, the player accepting puts the cube on his side of the board in view of both players with the 2 facing up. Once the cube has been offered and accepted, only the player with the cube can re-double. If sometime later, the player with the cube thinks he will win he may re-double to 4 and his opponent has the same options as before. At the end of a game, the cube should be replaced to the centered position.

Crawford Rule
The Crawford Rule will apply to all matches. When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9 point match), the doubling cube will be out of play for one game (know as the Crawford Game). In subsequent games following the Crawford Game, the cube is active.

General Strategy
It may seem that the sole object of the game is to race the checkers around the board as quickly as possible. If that were the case, the outcome of the game would be determined completely by Lady Luck. Victory would go to the player fortunate enough to cast the higher numbers and interest in the game would soon evaporate.

Backgammon is also a strategy game. The sure way to succeed is to construct an obstacle that your opponent cannot hurdle. Thus, if he should leave a blot and you hit it, he will find it difficult to bring his checkers around the board into his home board. Remember, a checker that has been hit goes to the bar and must re-enter in the opponent's home board. The checker must complete the full course of the board before it is in a position to be removed. In addition, the player has lost ground - the number of points he has advanced the checker to the position where it was hit have all gone to waste.

There are two key points in each board: the 5-point and the 7-point (also called the bar-point). Early moves should be designed to gain control of these important points. Your opponent's checkers on your 1-point have to travel the longest distance and your early efforts should be designed to impede their progress. Thereafter, you must attempt to construct a prime (points in a row with 2 or more checkers on each point): the more the better.

Cube Strategy
Strategy on the use of the doubling cube is often complex and experience is the primary teacher. However, it should be noted that a player offering a double should have something to gain by doing so. Thus he should normally at least be leading the game. Secondly, even though a player may be currently losing the game, he may stand to gain by accepting a double, with the hope of turning the game in his favor.

More Help and Information
When playing in a tournament and any questions arise, consult the Director or staff person. For your enjoyment of the game, it is better to know the rules for sure.

Mabardi's Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win

Mr Bower throws down the gauntlet, and the challenge is accepted. Without further ado, herewith my nominee:

"Some self-appointed 'new authorities' have evolved a strange hybrid which they call 'modern' Backgammon. There is no such thing - unless 'modern' Backgammon is another name for bad Backgammon... The cause of the present confusion is... the development of two minor conventions - The Double, and Chouette. The former, however, is merely a new way of scoring... neither development in any way affects the fundamental principles of the game.

"... there is no gainsaying that the Double does add excitement, and a certain gambling color. If you want to gamble, by all means play the Double; if you are more interested in the strategy of the game, omit it.

"... There is a good deal of skill involved - unbeknown to many of its admirers - in manipulating the Double...

"... if two perfect players engaged in a match, there would never be an accepted double... a correct double is made only when definitely ahead, and a correct acceptance... only when the accepter knows he is not definitely behind.

"Consequently, if every double were perfect, none would be accepted... We must conclude that accepted doubles can only be the result of imperfect play...

"The author's chief objection to the double is... its only reason d'être is the incompetent play of those who use it. For there can be no final difference of opinion on the value of position... two expert players will never disagree.

"Perhaps the most important thing to remember about the Double is that the the less it is used the better."

One wonders how the authors fared playing propositions.

This book also has a delightful chapter regarding etiquette, which pays the price of admission. There, vividly and hilariously, the authors portray the various characters who populate the board's environs. Backgammon theory may have evolved during the last 60 years, but human nature evidently has not. Excerpts:

"Even worse than the chortler and the grouser, is the coaxer, that pathetic and heart-breaking wooer of Fate, who announces to his dice box before every throw what sweet sights he would like to see issue from it... holding the box between his two hands in a supplicating and prayerful fashion: 'Double-sixes, oh for a pair of double-sixes!'"

"The year 1930 was a memorable one... it saw a crash in the stock market, the sprightly advent of Tom Thumb Golf, and the sudden vogue for the ancient... game of Backgammon... Some might find in... this latter fad a combination of the others... a re-enactment of the market crash, with its... dizzy turns of fortune. In addition to this heady wine of chance it offers the same mental hazards and imaginative possibilities as Miniature Golf."

They just don't write 'em like that nowadays, more's the pity.

Wiggins's Boards, Blots, and Double Shots

Norm produced a number of positions analyzed by Jellyfish rollouts, targeted at the experienced backgammon player with an already establised base knowledge and desire to become an expert player. Wiggins claims that this book will help you develop "the ability to see and evaluate all the pertinent features of a position and decide which goals in the corrent position must take priority over which others".

Norm gives you a little info on how he analyzed the positions as well as some notation and terminology and then gives you some excellent general strategy advice. Wiggins then gets to the meat of his efforts, 129 problems rolled out by Jellyfish and analyzed.

Most of these problems are delightful, demonstating key points and showing you what you should be thinking about in various situations. Note however that this is a collection of checker play problems and teaches you nothing about the cube. One of the downfalls of this book is that the positions analyzed are not in any particular order or demonstrate any common ideas or themes making it a little haphazard. the analyses are interesting, clear and informative and certainly not without merit.

One concept that was hammered home to me was the importance of "boardage". Boardage amount to some of the tactical criteria that help you decide whether to make a safe or bold play first introduced in Magriel's "Backgammon". In the examples shown by Wiggins, boardage is a powerful determinant of how you should move your checkers. I liked a lot of the problems but there were several that were relatively useless showing "no brainer" plays and seemed like filler.

There were also a couple fo intriguing examples that showed radically different checker plays with near equal equity. They were interesting but since both plays were considered "correct" by Jellyfish, I'm not sure what I was supposed to learn from them. This was a decent collection of problems but I wouldn't really call it a book. As a collection of problems I thought it was valuale and I certainly learned something from it. I just wish it was more organized around central themes and concepts or at least into stages of the game. You know.. table of contents, an outline, chapters, headings... a book.

The name Backgammon

In 'Backgammon the Action Game' by Prince Alexis Obolensky and Ted James it tells how the game was played in ancient Sumer, 5,000 years ago, goes on to talk about the Romans and how they played it, and then it says:

"During the first millenium after Christ, backgammon was played throughout the Middle East. Whether or not the Romans were responsible for its popularization or if it just continued to be played after Sumer crumbled is not known. However, in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, H.G. Raverty, in an article entitled "The invention of chess and backgammon", writes: Ard-Shir Babakan, son of Babak of the Sasanian dynasty of Iran-Zamin or the ancient Persian empire, invented it. The game was also sometimes called Nard-i-Shir after him."

I must say, the explanation of going back and getting gammons doesn't ring true. The 'back' bit relies upon English, and in English we always called it tables, after the Latin tabula, until fairly recent times (well, until a few hundred years ago, anyway). The 'gammon' bit begs the question of why are gammons called that anyway? It seems more likely that they got called after the game than the other way around to me. So, why not the good Babakan as the origin? It sounds right. In language, we often corrupt a strange or foreign word into something that does at least sound like our own language. For example, take the English slang term 'loo' (bathroom) which is a corruption of the French 'gardez l'eau' (beware - water) a cry from the day when chamberpots were emptied out of upstairs windows onto the street (yuck, hmm?). Loo was a popular card game of the 18th century, a sandbank, and a common place name suffix. Now, if the game was revived in the West as a result of interest in the Middle East, say in the Crusades, the Persian term could have spread gradually throughout Europe as an alternative to the more popular Latin name, finally taking over in English around the 17th century. Any thoughts?

The game Babakan is said to have invented was not quite the same as backgammon, but close. If anyone is interested, I can post that bit of the book too. I would love to get hold of the article that was quoted.

By the way, I have also read somewhere, but can't remember the source, that the word Backgammon comes from the Welsh and means 'little war'.

Hmm - I don't think so. The Welsh are not renowned as being backgammon players. I think this must be a happy coincidence.

Backgammon in China

A precursor of backgammon, the game of 'nard', was known in China as early as 700 A.D. The local name for the game was Shan-liu (meaning double six). A reference can be found in the following book; Stewart Culin, 'Chinese Games with Dice and Dominoes', (Washington 1895), at page 80.

Nard closely resembled backgammon: ie race game played on the 'backgammon' board with 30 checkers whose movements were governed by chance from the throw of 2 die.

If one considers 'backgammon' to be a generic term encompassing the numerous variantions in rules, set up and movement (ie so it would include variants such as Russian Backgammon, Greek Backgammon etc) then its safe to say that backgammon was played in 19th century China.

However, if one defines 'backgammon' very narrowly as a specific variant with a distinct set of rules, (ie so as to preclude variants such as Russian Backgammon, Greek Backgammon etc) then the answer might be 'no', as more research is needed.

Fifteen ways to irritate your opponent

We all know that an irritated, distracted opponent will play worse. Here's some "advanced" tips for you:
1. Call his worst rolls for him.
2. Call your second best roll, and if you roll your best roll, complain.
3. If he wins a game or match, tell him how lucky he was.
4. If you win a game or match, tell him how amazing it was you won with all those bad rolls.
5. Whenever he's thinking about a tough play, or counting pips, tap the table impatiently, sigh heavily, and keep shaking your dice to distract him.
6. Whenever you get a perfect roll that closes him out or ends the game, pretend you don't see it right away and make the play very slowly, acting like you're thinking about doing something else.
7. Whenever he makes a daring play, like leaving a voluntary shot, or gambling for a G instead of doubling, and it doesn't work—be sure to tell him you wouldn't have done that.
8. If you gammon him, tell him he was very lucky not to get backgammoned.
9. Whenever he rolls a repeater, even if it's a terrible roll, remind him that he really should shake his dice.
10. Practice your rolling technique so that whenever you have an important roll the dice will be off the table and you'll have to roll over several times.
11. If you are sure you are not going to double, finger the doubling cube for a while and then change your mind.
12. Yell "YES!" whenever he rolls a really bad roll.
13. Especially if you are playing with his board, eat something really messy while you play and drip food all over the checkers and the board. (If you smoke, ashes look lovely on an opponent's board.)
14. Whenever he has a forced play, tell him it's forced and move his checkers for him.
15. And lastly, if you win, be sure to report it to the tournament director in the loudest possible voice.

I can guarantee you that if you use the above strategies two things are certain:
* You will irritate the hell our of your opponent, and;
* You will need a good dentist.

Good Start to 2007 for 888.com

In a regulatory statement to the London stock exchange this week the chairman of online gambling group 888 Holdings plc says that first quarter results will be up to expectations as a result of acquiring more customers and introducing new games.

"Trading is in line with expectations, and we continue to look forward to the future with confidence,'' Chairman Richard Kilsby said in the statement, released as 888 holds its annual shareholder meeting. He described first quarter results as an encouraging start to 2007 which will help the company maintain its momentum during the traditionally quieter second quarter.

888 lost around half its sales last October when the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act impacted financial transactions with online gambling companies. 888 raised research spending to a record $19 million and introduced a new casino game almost every month in 2006's last quarter in response, and added games such as Crazy Blackjack earlier this year.

Other innovative products have included 888’s new bingo product launched following completion of the Globalcom acquisition on 16 May.

The company's Pacific Poker site has undergone an extensive revamp, providing easier access to casino and backgammon games and a more integrated presentation of 888’s products.

The company revealed last month that sales increased 16 percent in the first three months of 2007 from the last quarter of 2006.

Profit increased 55 percent last year as European customers played more online casino and poker games. The company, owner of the Casino-on-Net and Pacific Poker brands, now gets 45 percent of sales from the U.K. and 36 percent from the rest of Europe.

More Backgammon from Cyberarts

The latest backgammon product to emerge from the Cyberarts studios was unveiled at GIGSE in Montreal this week, attracting keen interest among operators with its cash play and free-play availability.

The versatile package includes the ability to run scheduled and sit-and-go tournaments, and a variety of backgammon games that includes nackgammon, hypergammon and chouette play, where multiple players can participate on a single board.

Cyberarts chairman Ken Arnold explained: “Chouette is the most popular and social form of backgammon in real life, and avid players have been asking for an online chouette for years."

CyberArts was established in 1995 to provide high quality games of skill over the Internet and has become famous for its poker software. Its first product, GamesGrid Backgammon, quickly became the online club of choice for champion-level players and remains so to this day.

The company boasts a unique licensing model that requires licensees to pay a one-time licensing fee with no royalties.

Are good players just luckier?

Even at a substantial skill disadvantage, one should still win a lot of the time. One nice thing about backgammon is that you can make errors and bounce back; this also means that after making many errors, you will still be penalized for making more. In games without chance you should have
already lost.

Strong players still make a lot of mistakes. They are just smaller and less numerous than the errors of weak players. Even Snowie makes mistakes, but it's hard to be sure she is wrong.

Some errors in checker play arise when the rules of thumb conflict. (Should you hit, or make another inner board point? Should you make a bold play while ahead in the race but with a stronger board? Should you make a solid prime, escape, or start a blitz?)

Some errors arise when the rules of thumb make no suggestions. Some positions are so complicated or subtle or strange that the heuristics do not help, and stronger players may find it worthwhile to steer towards these knowing that the intermediate players will make more errors. The
point of the right play may be to gain timing rather than a racing advantage or any fixed asset. Often, there are several good plays, and one must choose based on intuition.

Some errors arise when the rules of thumb are wrong. Sometimes "ugly" plays are right, and stronger players are better at judging when this is the case. Sometimes the "pretty" plays have no winning game plan; they will just look good for a bit before collapsing.

In addition, intermediate players are often terrible with the cube. Tip for intermediates: play JF a lot, rapidly, or watch the demo mode. Get a feeling for when JF doubles, and double at least at those times against a human player.

Backgammon is surprisingly deep. The classic arsenal of heuristics can be learned in a week, so it is predictably insufficient.

Whether I qualify as a strong player depends on your definition. My rating on FIBS jumped up recently after I read some of Robertie's books, but every recent move from my matches that I entered into Snowie was pronounced a blunder. (One double, which my opponent dropped, required a 64% chance for my opponent to drop for it to be correct. I guess doubling at -2:-4 is
dangerous even with a 6-prime and my opponent's ace-point made, with very low gammon chances.) On the other hand, maybe that means that I now know which positions I'm confused about, rather than being so confident of erroneous plays that I don't check them.

The 10 Commandments of Backgammon

1- Thou shalt have no other games before me.

2- Thou shalt not make unto thee an image of me being a simple, accidental or tiresome game. For I let punishment for thy sins come unto thee in thy third or fourth tournament of them that hate me, and shewing mercy in thousands of tournaments of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

3- Thou shalt not misuse thy cube, for the dice will not hold him guiltless who doubleth early.

4- Remember the tournament day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou read thy theory, and play for money, but the seventh day is the tournament day. Then shalt thou play not for money, but for honour and rating.

5- Honour thy club and thy federation, that thy days of playing upon the land be many.

6- Thou shalt not roll 5-2.

7- Thou shalt not break thy prime.

8- Thou shalt not steal pips.

9- Thou shalt not play with false dice.

10- Thou shalt not covet thy opponent's board. Thou shalt not covet thy opponent's prime, nor his advanced anchor, nor his rolls of the dice, nor any thing that is thy opponent's.

Backgammon Come to Online Casino Arena

GamArena will now be providing its skill games to online casino operator Unibet. The company, one of Europe’s largest, will supply Unibet with 8-Ball Pool, Solitaire, Backgammon and Golf Hole-in-One, among others.

The applications will be fully integrated into Unibet’s platform, customised so that they are wrapped with the Unibet brand and fully integrated with Unibet’s existing games and applications, such as the lobby, account and chat facilities.

This marks an expansion of GamArena’s online network, which supplies players from a number of companies operating across the continent.

Petter Nylander, chief operating officer of Unibet said that, “Multiplayer games have become an important piece of our online offering as we continue to develop and to deliver on our MoneyTainment strategy. GamArena fits very well into this strategy and we are looking forward to an active and profitable relationship with them.”

Andrew Pegler of GamArena Ab stated that the company was excited to be working with Unibet, calling the company an innovator in the online betting and gaming sector. “We consider GamArena to be the next generation in p2p skill games and we look forward to delivering a compelling games experience to Unibet customers.”

ESPN Launches Backgammon and other Free Arcade Site

ESPN is getting in the casual games business. The site has launched a new channel, ESPNArcade.com, where users can play more than 40 games for free.

To populate the new channel ESPN has partnered with the advergame developer Skyworks, which already manages the casual games Rcade.com. As a result of the new partnership, that site now redirects users to ESPNArcade, which features a variety of virtual tests of skill, ranging from card and puzzle games, to bar games like air hockey and darts to more intense sports titles like golf or basketball.

All of the games on the new channel are free and ad supported, with the U.S. Marines having signed on as a debut ESPNArcade sponsor.

ESPN’s move into the casual games space comes two years after CBS Sportsline launched a similar ad-supported channel featuring games ranging from Full Throttle Speedway to Chess and Backgammon.

ESPN executives say that gaming is an increasingly impactful way to engage with sports fans on the Web “Gaming is an important and fast-growing part of a fan’s connection to sports,” said Raphael Poplock, vp, gaming, ESPN Enterprises. “The ESPN Arcade is the latest addition to ESPN’s array of gaming initiatives...all to provide sports fans with interactive connections to sports.”

Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley pictures

Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley have swapped showbiz parties for board games.

The actresses, who are currently filming The Edge of Love in Wales, have been shunning nights on the town in favour of backgammon tournaments.

A source told Australia's New Weekly magazine: "Sienna is big on board games and she has got Keira hooked too. They think it's hilarious because people assume they would be out on the town every night but instead they are cosied up like a couple of old men, getting all competitive over the backgammon board. Sienna says she prefers it to a big celebrity party any day."

Sienna, 25, and Keira, 22, have become good friends since they were cast in the movie about Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, which was written by Keira's mother Sharman Macdonald.

The film will see the two beauties share a steamy scene with co-star Matthew Rhys, who plays the late poet.

Sienna recently gushed of her blossoming friendship with the Pirates of the Caribbean star.

She said: "I love Keira. She is so nice and she gets me and where I'm coming from. We always chat about how weird the public attention is and boys. I've found a new friend for life. I've had a real blast hanging around with Keira."