Hi. Great video. When you made the comment about opening moves in Paul Lamford's book, his suggestion for 4-1 is generally more correct than slotting on the 5 point. The exception is only when you are trailing by a hefty amount in a match, and then it becomes preferable.

just wanted to say that my friend and I have recently gotten into backgammon and we got started entirely through your videos. We've watched every single one and it was a huge help. Thanks so much for making them. :D

@Ensor42

10 жыл бұрын

That's really rewarding to hear :) Thanks very much for the support.

@KripDrip You have to understand that leaving blots is not necessarily that bad a thing. The opponent is an underdog to hit on the 5 point, and even if you are hit, being behind in the race, when your opponent has no board development is NOT a major problem. The potential gains of making he 5 point early far outweigh the risks.

@Matt68385 To add, you can find a thorough rollout chart for all opening moves, alas still using GNUBG ;) , at bkgm.com/openings/rollouts.html

Robertie's Backgammon for Serious Players is good for intermediates. Read it slowly and more than once.

@Laurencetw

2 жыл бұрын

that book is great, and I've studied it for years. but his recommended openings for 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 are bad advice, imo. I've lost so many games for following those recommendations. (edit: sorry, I was referring to his book 'backgammon for winners.')

yeah, i watched it. i'm now using the trial version of extreme backgammon. very helpful. my game has definitely improved since i've started analyzing my games. thanks for making that video

Interesting video. Re Magriel's book, I know that you do not wish to comment on the errors made in 70s books but if you actually put the exhibition game (Chapter 6) through XG, his recommended moves give PRs of 16 and 12 respectively. Reason enough not to read that chapter if you want to learn how to play well. Also, re your 21 openers, they are both almost exactly equal on XG and, yes, you might be more inclined to play the split if you are ahead and the slot if you are behind. Same for the 41 as you have said but the book was a beginner's book.

Love your videos! Thank you.

Hi. Yeah, sorry about that. When I first uploaded this, KZread was a lot more picky about including links. You should now be able to find them in the video description.

Thanks for the book recommendations. Just bought Backgammon For Dummies this evening.

Any suggestions of analysis programs? Just the other day I heard of a program called 'Snowie'.

@Matt68385 Absolutely right. Computer analysis is an incredibly valuable asset in understanding and improving backgammon play, but it is NOT the "written in stone, absolute truth". Like all statistical data, it can be open to some interpretation, and in many positions, a play can be as much about a player's style, and what type of game they wish to provoke, as it can be about the pure maths.

I did do a software recommendation video as the last part of my beginners' series. It's a few years old, of course, but the information should still be relevant. It's at kzread.info/dash/bejne/f3Wfy6Otj6qeYZc.html

Hello! You say in the video at 5:28, that in the Lamford book your solution of the 2-1 opening is not even mentioned as an alternative. Well it is. At the end of chapter 3, there is a table, and this version of the 2-1 is listed there as a good alternative. Very helpful videos by the way! :)

@Ensor42

9 жыл бұрын

***** Hi, thanks for posting. Sorry for any confusion about my criticism there. My complaint is that the alternative (prefered?) 2-1 move is not mentioned in THAT section where the openings are illustrated. It may have been stated elsewhere in the text.

@tsukune007

8 жыл бұрын

24/23 13/11 is the normal opening in most of the books that i have read it give you a 60.1% of winning

I have a copy of Paul magriels book does anyone know what it's worth is.

thank you!

@Ensor42 Of course, I mean "making THE 5 point early...", rather than "he..." That will teach me to type at a slower pace ;-)

Thanks for all of your videos! Love the Pink Floyd comment :D

@Matt68385 Do yourself a favour, and treat yourself to a really decent analysis program like extreme Gammon, you really do get what you pay for. I have found many of GNU's conclusions to be somewhat dubious. Also, don't confuse a 3 ply analysis with a proper rollout.

6:24 "This book reeks of timidity, and, uh, ah [...]" - your disgust is priceless! :-j

@porters.5811

4 жыл бұрын

Lol, yeah. The way he shoved it aside made me feel like he was going to wash his hands asap afterwards.

can you please post links here instead of video?