Backgammon

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 414 pages
• Published by: Clock & Rose Press; 2nd 2004 edition 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1593860277
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1593860271

Product Description
Backgammon is the most highly-regarded work on the subject, often referred to as "The Bible" of the game. Written between 1973 and 1976 by Paul Magriel and Renée Magriel, Backgammon was the first book to lucidly explain the inner workings and advanced positional play of the game. The most important aspects are broken down into their component parts and then explained with a unique, easy-to-understand, step-by-step building-block approach. The book is enhanced by 600 clear and precise diagrams, a glossary and tables, including the betting odds. For any player who means to take the game seriously and wants to play well, Backgammon is an indispensable guide. This new 2004 edition of also includes a lively behind-the-scenes foreword by Renée Magriel Roberts that illuminates the man behind the name "X-22" and describes the creation of the book. Having stood the test of time for over a quarter-century, Backgammon is still the best and most widely recommended and quoted standard instructional manual and reference work on the game for novice and expert alike.

Reader Reviews
Magriel's Backgammon took me from a hobby player into a good local competition player. It taught me how to think of the relative value of the points, of different kinds of games, and how to keep the calculator constantly going in the head. It teaches a way of thinking that has not gone out of style. It teaches. There is more to the game than this book. There are books to explore which add to the thinking, to work out scenarios in which Magriel may not help enough. Doubling is presented but not explored - to become a strong player a book on doubling strategy (and psychology) is essential. And the co-author, his ex-wife Renee, describes in a forward the mistake of calling the opponents's five point "golden" when the neighboring bar point is more valuable as an early goal in games. However, as a book to start learning the game from, and to develop into a decent player, I know of no equal. Magriel is a teacher and took the time to craft a wonderful book. Small aside. Shortly after the original book was published Magriel helped an Artificial Intelligence researcher, Hans Berliner, with a Backgammon program. This is the late 1970's. The program - BKG - was brought to Monte Carlo in 1979. Or accessed remotely from the tournament. The winner of the Monte Carlo tournament, Luigi Villa, played the program five games and lost 7-1. The program disappeared. Berliner wrote an article for Scientific American (6/80). And that was that. For content and freshness after 25 years (when I first read it) this is five stars. I subtract one for it being priced like a college text book instead of a game book. Comment | | (Report this)