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Backgammon is Beautiful
United Kingdom
Registrace 17. 10. 2010
Short informative backgammon lessons posted up each Wednesday.
Created and presented by Dan Rovira.
For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Created and presented by Dan Rovira.
For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Backgammon: Board Busting (Lesson 135)
A short lesson on one position, looking into the value of an inflexible front position and bad rolls.
For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
zhlédnutí: 616
Video
Backgammon: 20pt Holding Game References (Lesson 134)
zhlédnutí 522Před měsícem
References on borderline cube decisions in 20pt holding games. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Backgammon: The Point of Contact (Lesson 133)
zhlédnutí 504Před měsícem
A simple or not so simple cube problem in the endgame, Hope you find it useful. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. Check out also my The Zone of Contact video (Lesson 88) for related content: czcams.com/video/jgqAeqlQFWk/video.html
Backgammon: Special Scores for Cubing (Lesson 132)
zhlédnutí 552Před měsícem
A lesson on which scores to pay attention to in 5pt matches. Use this to hone your cubing game further and win more! Check out my Cubing playlist on my channel with many other videos on the tricky topic of cube handling. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE
Backgammon: Subtle Differences (Lesson 131)
zhlédnutí 287Před 2 měsíci
One pip can sometimes make a big difference - check out this opening position and the reasoning behind the correct plays. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you enjoy my content. The ninth checker video (lesson 104): czcams.com/video/HWmiz2p6RJg/video.html
Backgammon: Upending Jokers (Lesson 130)
zhlédnutí 466Před 2 měsíci
A short lesson on how to make great rolls (jokers) into terrible rolls (anti-jokers). LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. For lessons: dan@backgamonisbeautiful.com Thanks to Art Williams for the position. Check out his Backgammon News Group on Facebook: groups/1646598342535290
Backgammon: The Goalkeeper (Lesson 129)
zhlédnutí 653Před 2 měsíci
A short lesson outlining the importance of the goalkeeper in backgammon. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE Lesson 88 Zone of Contact video: czcams.com/video/jgqAeqlQFWk/video.html
Backgammon: Mochy's Three-Checker Rule (Lesson 128)
zhlédnutí 976Před 2 měsíci
My shortest video yet, offering a very useful tip that is easy to remember and apply over the board. Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. Link to Mochy 'Japan Open' video mentioned: czcams.com/video/tw-sM1wo5Vk/video.html
Backgammon: Smart Thinking (Lesson 127)
zhlédnutí 654Před 3 měsíci
In this video, we study one interesting position. Do you have what it takes to be a Pro? Watch and find out. LIKE and SUBSCRIBE For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Backgammon: Preparing for Tournaments
zhlédnutí 455Před 3 měsíci
In this video, I provide advice on preparing for your first tournament. Please like and subscribe if you found it useful. Links below: The Rules: czcams.com/video/5oCljbO7d2M/video.html 12 Steps to Improvement: czcams.com/video/TBm2B50I0MM/video.html UKBGF website: ukbgf.com/ USBGF website: usbgf.org/ Backgammon shop for dice, boards etc: www.bgshop.com/
Backgammon: Backgame Cubes (Lesson 126)
zhlédnutí 566Před 3 měsíci
A short introduction to some important things you should be thinking about in backgames. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com Other related videos: Killing Numbers: czcams.com/video/yOqSkB52KG4/video.html Danger Rolls: czcams.com/video/0xqvGBB85TQ/video.html Dice Distribution: czcams.com/video/fVRXmNVsqz0/video.html Alex Eshaghian's book as mentioned: www.amazon.co.uk/Backgammon-Backgame-...
Backgammon: The Lone Checker (Lesson 125)
zhlédnutí 682Před 3 měsíci
In this video, we look at a number of positions about escaping the lone back checker. Thanks for watching! For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Backgammon: Thinking, Fast and Slow (Lesson 124)
zhlédnutí 595Před 3 měsíci
Sometimes we get our fast and slow thinking mixed up. This lessons explains how, looking at several positions. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com Link to book: www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0141033576/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3O5AGU3URFN4B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.t0urj2TOIWU_X4qDpckLibFBuiAX6k1Nqc2666US_N1uAlYdGdpvRS0-mHeXWZ86Krxw8JLmnvJfoiQMtXtTIfsjWC77q397sC8cfCT-EXyEZG2Fxyb_...
Backgammon: The Triple Split (Lesson 123)
zhlédnutí 533Před 3 měsíci
A short video on the cool triple split and its many benefits. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Backgammon: Same But Different (Lesson 122)
zhlédnutí 485Před 4 měsíci
Small changes can make a big difference. Here we look at some small adjustments to opening positions. Keep your eyes open. For lessons: dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com Answers to final positions below: Left position (opening reply) - 24/18 6/4* Right position (3rd roll) - 24/16
Backgammon: The Post-Crawford Trick (Lesson 121)
zhlédnutí 731Před 4 měsíci
Backgammon: The Post-Crawford Trick (Lesson 121)
Backgammon: Ten Reasons to Slot (Lesson 120)
zhlédnutí 1KPřed 4 měsíci
Backgammon: Ten Reasons to Slot (Lesson 120)
Backgammon: Danger Rolls (Lesson 119)
zhlédnutí 573Před 4 měsíci
Backgammon: Danger Rolls (Lesson 119)
Backgammon: Woolsey's Law (Lesson 118)
zhlédnutí 743Před 5 měsíci
Backgammon: Woolsey's Law (Lesson 118)
Backgammon: Cube Placement (Lesson 117)
zhlédnutí 668Před 5 měsíci
Backgammon: Cube Placement (Lesson 117)
Backgammon: Too Good to Double (Lesson 116)
zhlédnutí 518Před 5 měsíci
Backgammon: Too Good to Double (Lesson 116)
Backgammon: 3-away Cubes (Lesson 115)
zhlédnutí 513Před 5 měsíci
Backgammon: 3-away Cubes (Lesson 115)
Backgammon: Cluster Counting (Lesson 114)
zhlédnutí 786Před 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Cluster Counting (Lesson 114)
Backgammon: Backgammon Proficiency Test
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Backgammon Proficiency Test
Backgammon: Tactical Plays (Lesson 113)
zhlédnutí 803Před 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Tactical Plays (Lesson 113)
Backgammon: Ten Key Backgammon Concepts
zhlédnutí 1,5KPřed 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Ten Key Backgammon Concepts
Backgammon: Prime vs Prime (Lesson 111)
zhlédnutí 813Před 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Prime vs Prime (Lesson 111)
Backgammon: Bearing Off Safely (Lesson 110)
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
Backgammon: Bearing Off Safely (Lesson 110)
Backgammon: Candidate Plays (Lesson 109)
zhlédnutí 546Před 7 měsíci
Backgammon: Candidate Plays (Lesson 109)
Couldn’t resist,I went for the double hit in the last one😮.Does being ahead in the race influence safer plays? I mean say we had an ace anchor or two blots in their home board would we play bolder?
I would recommend chapter 5 of Magriel's 'Backgammon' but as a rule of thumb: when we are behind we like to hit, and when ahead we like to play safe.
Nice i always have trouble with when to move out the back checkers,thx!!
Thanks Gerry
In the 6th game, if white was in 9th instead of 10th, would Bar/24, 8/6 have been the first choice?
Yes, the top move would remain the same. It's Bar/24* 22/20 in both cases
Is it correct to hit the third checker in backgame?🤔I think 2 checkers is enough🤔I don't know..hitting the third checker is just helping the opponent to kill the moves🤔
Timing is a key factor to consider in these positions
Good advice about moving the back checkers,was never sure about these.Got the first wrong but then the last one correct due to this tip
Great to hear!
Funny, my XG Mobile is showing a No Double after initial rolls of 5-2 and then double 5s, followed by a roll of 5-6 entering one checker on the 5-point. Shows winning % of 61.1.
Extreme Gammon agrees with you : best play to double / and opponent takes
In the position called Stuplication (17/13, 3/2), XG Mobile is showing this as -0.054 worse than the play of 17/13, 3/2, which is the recommended play.
Better to use XG on the laptop as the analysis is deeper. Thanks for watching
Extreme Gammon 2.1 running on a Core i7-12700 14-core machine shows the same result.
Very small differential between the two plays however, +0.953 for 17/13, 3/2 vs +0.946 for the play 6/2, 3/2
@@stewiewilliamson1541That's unusual. Did you use ++ setting or roll out?
Totally blundering these 😢.I guess it’s not just as simple as “race when behind” “don’t leave a blot within hitting range”..
The more you learn, the harder it gets :)
Thanks, Dan🎉 Its Very helpful
Welcome
I just wrote a comment and deleted it because White had missed the Double/take//then you went on to mention it! I was so chuffed I spotted it :-) Great videos..thank you....I only came across you because of your spot in the world championship final 2024 commentary....thanks again
Many thanks for watching :)
Great lesson. Thanks, Dan!
Thank you
Hey Dan. I've been watching the WBC and enjoying your commentary. I subscribed and am starting at the beginning of the lessons even though some of it may be a refresher. I've read many books. Maybe this method will make my better than an intermediate! LOL
Hi Hawk, thanks for subscribing. Hope you find my videos useful
I didn't learn it🤔🤦♂️I think there is an easier way😂😂🤦♂️waiting to someone invents
Even if you know the opponent is a big taker?🤔 I never double in this situations😂one of my friends is a big taker and he takes the double and gets a bunch of jokers and turns the table always😐😂and gives me 4 cube😐🤦♂️what's the best cube action for those lucky double taker opponents?😂
Just try to make the correct cube action and don't worry about it. I wouldn't adjust too much :)
My experience on backgammon game says you must be luckier than your opponent to win a game..I rarely see one wins a game with less luck and better play..it's so rare..and i tested this😂 how? Let me tell you😂🤦♂️ I set up a long match between 3Ply grandmaster level in gnu backgammon software and a advanced player..you know that grandmaster's pr is zero or so close to zero..and advanced player's pr is about 7 to 10. Right? In gnu backgammon software you can manually edit the luck rate. So I made the advanced player a bit luckier and what did happen?😂 the advanced player just destroyed the grandmaster with a big score! I don't know if it's possible in xg to edit the luck in app setting..but in gnu it's possible. Can you imagine a player with pr of 100😂 is defeating xg???😂🤦♂️I did it! I played 550 games against xg and my score was 20,000 and xg was only 5000😂while my pr was 100 or bigger I don't remember😂and xg had zero pr😂🤦♂️I used backgame strategy in every single game 😂🤦♂️🤦♂️and xg was very happy and raising the cube to 128😂😂in my opinion xg is not so perfect in cube action.
Hi😍first of all I would say your commentary was awesome in galaxy channel..thanks a lot🙂👏👏can we have a 9 points match in Plato app? I don't like galaxy app😑
I don't use Plato app but sure we can play sometimes, thank you
@@BackgammonisBeautifuloh thanks for your kind answer 🤗🤗 I forgot to say you have a very nice voice..please keep commentating live matches on galaxy channel 🙂👏👏
@@Joa8n appreciated
Great, great video. Geoff is very likeable! I know this is a year old video, but I just watched it now. Somebody in the comments already pointed this out, but I don't think a clear answer was ever given. The text for the adjustments implies that only the player with the additional crossovers should add them (difference in crossovers) to their adjusted count. But in the video, you were adding all crossovers to both players. I know that in almost all cases, the "final answer" will be the same using either technique, but since I'm a perfectionist, which one is it? Has there been a referendum on this question yet?
Thanks Dana, let me see if I can get in touch with Geoff to answer this. I also attached a link to the original ISight article on the video description.
My plays were: 1.) 22/16, 4/1 2.) 12/7, 6/4* 3.) 13/7*, 7/3* 4.) 6/5(2), 8/7(2) 5.) 6/5, 5/1 6.) 24/18, 5/4 7.) 6/1*, 13/9 8.) 23/18 9.) 13/9, 8/3 10.) 24/18*, 7/5
The more I play the more I love backgammon & the more I learn the more I need to learn! How did such a simple game get so complex & deep?
Great attitude :)
is there a video of FAQ that explains how to use the app? How often are "bonus" rounds offered?
Please check the Galaxy page
It’s about looking ahead more than just the next play. Playing to win rather than playing not to lose. Well presented.
Thanks Steve
Just discovered your channel. Only two videos in but really great content.
Dan a really good video with expert analysis from Will Snelling and yourself. you mentioned that you have the written explanations available any chance of you sending me a copy please. Thanks in advance
I'll try and find them. This video was from.a couple of years' back so may have gone into the ether. Thanks for watching
Thanks for replying, if you do find them by chance! Send my your email address if you wouldn’t mind and then I’ll respond. Enjoy the rest of your day
👍
7:10 double 6s don't help Green at all, he'll be stuck on the bar
He doesn't hold back.
I think the trickiest too good to spot by far is whenever back game strategies are involved, either playing against the back game (this is probably more often "no double" not "too good", or a mix of the 2 in a way) or after the back game player has successfully hit with a strong home board and starts mobilising the back checkers. It's very tempting to cash out when the game finally swings in your favour after so long hoping on the back game, good to remember that when the back game pays off it pays off spectacularly!
Yes, these back game positions can be tough to assess.
Fascinating to learn how the cube concepts influence checker play, as a beginner/intermediate it's so tempting to think of them as 2 separate halves of the game but this holistic perspective is very valuable and eye opening, thank you. I think how I rephrased the lesson to make the most sense to me personally was that leaving things up to chance in the long term (random fluctuations over the course of close long races) benefits the cube owner, so you need a more aggressive game plan, taking measured risks to create a bigger lead to carry through to the end.
I think the discussion at 4:23 slightly misses why 8/4* 5/4 is so much better than 8/4* 6/5. After calculating through the shots I came up with slightly different numbers to the ones quoted in the video and the truth is a bit more complicated than better coverage of the home board blot thanks to the direct 6, it seems to be more to do with the flexibility to use some of the rolls that don't cover to reposition the blot and make a different home board point. There is no single reason why it's better, the rolls just work out in quite frankly a beautiful way ❤in a way, although the direct 6 coverage is good, if you compare the positions you have the same number of direct builders but 1 fewer indirect builders so the gains aren't as big as you might expect intuitively for simple coverage. If we are only interested in rolls that cover the home board blot where it is currently, using direct and indirect shots from each of the points, then for 8/4* 5/4 there are 31 (all except 54, 52, and 55) and for 8/4* 6/5 there are 30 (all except 65, 53, 66 and 55) so not much of a difference in terms of simple coverage. However if we extend the rolls to include ways to keep the blot safe on a lower point then the 54 and 52 can be used to make the 1 and 3 points respectively for the 8/4* 5/4 scenario, whereas only the 53 can be used to make the 1 point for the 8/4* 6/5 scenario. After taking this into account, for the 8/4* 5/4 scenario 35 out of 36 rolls are safe whereas for the 8/4* 6/5 scenario 32 out of 36 are safe. A somewhat general principle that underpins this is that the higher blot had more mobility options to make use of the higher rolls and make the lower points.
Yes, miscounted the 42 so it's 31/36 which clearly diversifies the rolls to make the rack, and also gives a good six to play.
@@BackgammonisBeautiful Hi! Thanks for replying and for all the great videos, they're the best free learning resource I can find. I recently got into Backgammon after playing Chess probably a bit too seriously, I love how Backgammon encourages a clear rational thought process for playing with less infinitely demanding overthinking and next to no opening theory memorisation. The way your content promotes clear awareness and understanding of the decisions have had a big positive effect on my life, so thank you. I'm really looking forward to becoming a great Backgammon player someday!
@@ant961Handle that's great to hear, hope to see you at a backgammon tournament some day. Best wishes. Dan
Thanks 👍
Thank you Dan. Well done, easy to remember brief summary of very important match play concepts.
You're welcome
Great video. Also with the 10 point to clear, 64 works. With the 11 point to clear, no non-doublets work.
Thank you for another great video.
Thanks Alex
Thank you for another great video Dan. One thing I think about in such positions is as follows: After hitting, green's ones play well. How do they play after not hitting?
Good point!
Thanks Dan. This reminds me of the importance of looking at BOTH my whole board AND my opponent's entire board before making my move. The fact that opponent is so inflexible is critical to this play.
Absolutely, thanks for watching
Do you have a Patreon page?
I don't but if you'd like to donate, then my PayPal is dan@backgammonisbeautiful.com
Someone should think, your channel should have more views, since you are already presenting in a very good understandable and structured english to a wide audience. Thank you very much for your work, was and still is quite helpful for my game.
Many thanks for taking the time to write this message. I'm glad you find my content helpful. Best wishes. Dan
Why is clearing the four point correct with a 4+1, put wrong with a 3+1? They both leave only two shots, and they're both the same risk for long-term safety
Repeaters
Great content. Have you made any videos when you talk about the volatility of a position? Under Analysis and 'Dice distribution' at the bottom you can see the value displayed.
Thanks. Not specifically on volatility, but I have a whole playlist of cubing videos :)
@@BackgammonisBeautiful Thanks for your answer. I had a short session with top player who said he had spent a lot of time looking at volatility on cube decisions. As I remember he did it to figure out the risk of shipping the cube.
This is really a great video. There is so much here so many rules of thumb that can simplify things over the board. Thanks!
Many thanks
Excellent video/info as usual… thanks, Dan!
Pleasure
That's so interesting.thank you Dan. Now the 4pt HG and the 18 pt hg are next ?😊❤
I'll look into it :)
So basically almost every time we got to double there :)
Thanks, Dan! Very appreciate... Im looking forward 18pt holding game references😊
You're welcome. You can double after 31 then 66 :)
😂
Another great video as usual do hou have instagram somi can reach to you and ask som positions
Another great video
Hi Dan, a request please: can you please make more use of filling the entire screen with the presentation? Currently, it is too small as there is too much 'white space' on the screen. For example, since the two boards are exactly the same, show only one board and then below it the two XG valuation squares, one on the left and one on the right. This will make viewability better. Thanks for considering and thanks for the videos.
Thanks, I'll look into this. I normally only show one board so the image is larger. I can see that with two boards, which I show for comparison, the images reduce in size.
nice
it's maybe worth explaining why this is "always" a cube for white even if clearing the 6-away point is such a headache. the thing is we have 5 big market losers (11 through 55) and then also market loss when we're forced off our 11 point but then our opponent misses (half of 61 62 63 64, so the equivalent of 4 rolls). So even if our advantage is not that clear, we need to cube this as soon as we can. The only exception is some sort of terribly crunched board and/or an even race (opp can just win the race)
Absolutely. This video is about understanding the contact in the position but of course, market losers play a big part as in all doubling decisions.
@@BackgammonisBeautiful oh I just meant that the first time I had this position as white, I "knew" that it's hard to clear the point, so I never even thought of cubing. I got 3 or 4 blunders in a row haha. Also, we sometimes forget that a market loser is not just "good roll for me", it can be "I leave a shot but opp misses" or more generally, "I get a normal roll but opp gets a terrible roll".
In the example on the 10 point, 55 also leaves a shot