501 Essential Backgammon Problems

by Bill Robertie

Overview

This comprehensive backgammon supercharges intermediate players with powerful concepts used by professional money players and champions! Readers learn everything from the general principles underlying expert play to advanced concepts like back play, holding games and one man back. Advanced strategic chapters cover connectivity, priming games, containment games, breaking anchor, action doubles, late game blitzes, post-blitz turnaround, ace point games, the concepts of profitable doubles and much more in the 31 hard-hitting chapters. With the help of hundreds of game-action diagrams 501 Essential Problems transform readers into thinking, aggressive pro-level players. A must-buy for every serious backgammon player!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580423908
Publisher:	Cardoza
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	402,669
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Bill Robertie is the author of 15 books on chess and backgammon. He is the world’s best backgammon player and the only two-time Monte Carlo World Championship. He was the former editor and co-publisher of Inside Backgammon, the game’s foremost backgammon magazine. He is also a chess master, winner of the U.S. Speed Chess Championship, and a best-selling author of some of the best beginning chess books ever written

Table of Contents

1 Introduction 11

2 How to Use this Book 12

3 Backgammon Notation 14

4 General Principles 17

Counting Dice Combinations 17

Counting Dice Rolls 18

Counting Pips 20

Doubling 22

Taking a Double 23

Offering a Double 24

Too Good to Double 25

Beavers 26

5 The Opening 28

Problems 1-59 29

Solutions 49

6 Flexibility 65

Problems 60-84 66

Solutions 75

7 The Middle Game 82

Problems 85-162 84

Solutions 110

8 The 5-Point 131

Problems 163-172 132

Solutions 136

9 The Blitz 139

Problems 173-206 140

Solutions 152

10 One Man Back 161

Problems 207-216 162

Solutions 166

11 Holding Games 169

Problems 217-244 170

Solutions 180

12 Priming Games 188

Problems 245-267 189

Solutions 197

13 Connectivity 204

Problems 268-275 205

Solutions 208

14 Hit or Not? 211

Problems 276-283 212

Solutions 215

15 Breaking Anchor 217

Problems 284-287 218

Solutions 220

16 Crunch Positions 221

Problems 288-290 222

Solutions 223

17 Action Doubles 224

Problems 291-295 225

Solutions 227

18 Late Game Blitz 229

Problems 296-300 230

Solutions 232

19 Post-Blitz Turnaround Games 234

Problems 301-307 235

Solutions 238

20 Too Good to Double? 240

Problems 308-312 241

Solutions 243

21 Age-Point Games 245

Problems 313-335 246

Solutions 254

22 Back Games 260

Problems 336-368 262

Solutions 273

23 The Containment Game 283

Problems 369-384 284

Solutions 290

24 Post-Age-Point Games 295

Problems 385-418 296

Solutions 308

25 Playing for a Gammon 316

Problems 419-423 317

Solutions 319

26 Saving the Gammon 321

Problems 424-429 322

Solutions 324

27 Bearing Off Against Contact 326

Problems 430-450 327

Solutions 334

28 Various Endgames 340

Problems 451-459 341

Solutions 344

29 The Race 347

Problems 460-469 348

Solutions 352

30 The Bearoff 355

Problems 470-501 356

Solutions 367

31 Next Steps 377