Title, Author
and Publisher
|
Review
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Improve
your
game
Paul Lamford
Chameleon (1999)
|
Paul
Lamford
is one of Britain's top rated players.
This slim paperback contains a brief introduction to
the game followed by a
set of 100 puzzles, half on checker play and half on
the use of the doubling cube. Although
rollouts
have
shown that a few of the problems have incorrect
solutions, mainly sound and well worth reading.
Out of print (I believe) and published under a
different title in the US.
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Backgammon
Winning
Strategies
Robin Clay
Pan (1996)
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Another
British
book. An excellent book for improvers.
Gives a good overall view of the main strategic
principles of the game, followed by a good quiz at the
end. Out of print and printed on poor quality
paper. Some of the advice is a bit simplistic
and the section on doubling is thin, but well worth
reading if you can find a copy.
|
New
Ideas
in Backgammon
Kit Woolsey
The Gammon Press (1996)
|
The
first
book to use computer programs to rollout positions.
This is a book for expert players, the analysis of 104
positions misplayed by experts is excellent and very
deep. Out of print.
Most of the analysis has stood up well to more modern
rollouts.
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501
Essential
Backgammon Problems
Bill Robertie
Cardoza Publishing (2000)
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A
wealth of material, well organised into 31 sections
with plenty of cube problems as well as play problems.
Some misprints and some problems have incorrect
solutions, but in general well worth reading.
|
Backgammon
for
Winners
Bill Robertie
Cardoza (2002)
|
Essentially
a
beginner's book. Robertie describes the rules
and some general points and then analyzes three games
in depth. Only the third game (a back game) is
likely to be of great interest to anyone who has
played a fair amount.
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Backgammon
for
Serious Players
Bill Robertie
Cardoza (1997)
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Robertie
analyses
in depth five games played between experts. The
final game is exceptionally interesting (though not of
great practical value).
As with any Robertie book well worth a read.
|
Advanced
Backgammon
(2 volumes)
Bill Robertie
(early 1990s?)
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In
depth
analysis of 400 positions from opening to end
game. Much more analysis than Robertie 501, but
with more positions mis-analysed.
One of the classic books on the game.
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Backgammon
Paul Magriel
X-22 (1973)
|
The
early
bible of the game. Magriel was the first person
to lay out modern principles in depth.
Covers the game from learning how to play to advanced
positions. Unfortunately not much analysis of the
doubling cube.
|
Backgammon
Learning
to Win
Lewis Deyong
Barrie and Jenkins (1977)
|
Nicely
produced
book with mainly sound advice and some good stories.
|
Phillip
Martyn
on Backgammon
Phillip Martyn
Stanley Paul (1976)
|
Another
book
from the seventies. Again the advice is mainly
sound for the time.
|
Backgammon
for
Blood
Bruce Becker
William Luscombe (1974)
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Of
historical
interest only, most of the strategies recommended were
poor even given the knowledge of the game in the
seventies.
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The
Backgammon
Book
Oswald Jacoby and John Crawford
Pan (1970)
|
The
first
modern backgammon book, by two of the early world
champions (who were both world class bridge players
too).
An excellent introduction and well written.
Doesn't go into great depth, but has a good
section on the mathematics of doubling.
Don't rely on their recommendations for opening moves
though, modern theory has overtaken them.
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Backgammon
How
to play, gamble and win
Don Stern
Lexington Press (1974)
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Another
bridge
expert writes a book to exploit the short lived
backgammon boom of the seventies. Reasonably
sound for the era.
|
Teach
Yourself
Backgammon
Robin Clay
Teach Yourself Books (1977)
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A
short introduction to the game. Clay was unable
to persuade the publishers to let him update the book,
so rather dated.
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Discovering
Backgammon
R C Bell
Shire Publications (1975)
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A
50 page booklet with rules and some bad advice on
playing; but an interesting section on the early
history and development of the game.
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The
New
Backgammon
Elizabeth Clark Boyden
Federick Warne (1930)
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The
1930s
saw a brief boom in popularity of the game. This
book is an introductory text, which does not go much
further than explaining the rules and giving a few
examples.
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