Backgammon for Dummies - (For Dummies) by Chris Bray (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A comprehensive and fun guide to Backgammon!

Backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world, the origins of which date back some 5000 years - and it's still going strong. It enjoyed a huge resurgence in the 1970s, and then again in the 1990s with the popularity of the Internet, where millions of people play tournaments online every day.

Today, backgammon's following in the UK is huge, with a dedicated British Isles Backgammon Association, and hundreds of face-to-face tournaments taking place across the UK every year.

In this book, backgammon expert Chris Bray walks you through the basics of setting up a board, opening strategies, middle and end-game tactics, and tips on when to make key moves. You'll also get to grips with basic probabilities, the doubling cube and the 25% rule. And if you want to take your gaming further, there's plenty of advice to get you started in tournament backgammon, as well as playing online.

Suitable for both beginners and experienced player looking for more tips and techniques, Backgammon For Dummies includes coverage on:

• Starting and Playing the Game
• Handling the Middle Game
• Bearing Off (The Last Lap)
• Varying the Play
• About the author

From the Back Cover

Your step-by-step guide to becoming a masterful backgammon player

Backgammon is an exciting, tactical game, and this straightforward book enables newcomers to get in on the fun, as well as providing expert advice for the more experienced player. Fully illustrated, it's packed with opening strategies, middle- and end-game tactics, tips on how to make key moves, and advice to get you up to speed on dice probabilities. You'll be hooked in no time!

• The basics of starting play -- Set up your board, get to grips with the rules and tactics of the game, and make the opening move
• Move smoothly into the middle game -- Work out basic probabilities, apply the 25 per cent rule, and raise the stakes with the doubling cube
• Bearing off into the last lap -- Discover key 'no-miss' positions and master complex endings
• Cast your gaming further afield -- Compete in tournaments, pit your skills against a computer, and play live games online

Open the book and find:

• The 36 possible outcomes that rolling two dice produces
• Over 50 illustrations of a backgammon board highlighting key tactics and rolls of the dice
• Definitions of backgammon-speak, from anchors and builders to a lover's leap
• Strategies to apply to each type of middle game
• Advice on playing against computers and online opponents
• Useful backgammon resources to help refine your game further

About the Author

Chris Bray has been playing backgammon for over 30 years, and started writing a weekly backgammon column for The Independent newspaper in 1994. A regular fixture on the London backgammon scene, he also takes part in tournaments around the world, and regularly gives seminars on backgammon and sports psychology.