Got into backgammon recently and loving the Backgammon Basics playlist, very helpful and interesting for a new player. Do you have a video explaining your moves during a full game as you make them? Would be very interested in this! Thanks for all the content
The key to the back game is timing. I try and get at least 5 6 checkers in the opponents home, sometimes you can end up with over half your checkers there. Have a strong mid board and go nice and slow. Risky game but always fun ;-)
@@macleadg It really depends what kind of backgame you are playing. The deeper the backgame is, the more pips you need to be down in order to have good timing. At least 100 pips in the 1-2 backgame, but maybe just 40 pips in a 2-5 backgame.
It is indeed quite the challenge, to have a six prime at the very moment you're hitting from a well-timed 1/2 back game... Other than this - I loved the presentation!
That is right Itzhak! Especially the 1-2 backgame is very difficult to achieve good timing with. It's so fragile to crunching. However, if you do manage to hit that timing sweet spot, the 1-2 backgame might be the strongest of them all on average.
@@Marcolino10DK I'm generally happy when I can have 5.5-prime when I hit, as a six-prime would require more checkers than I normally have in the box...
Good man Marc. Keep the videos, content, livestreams and website development going. You've single-handedly kept backgammon going over the past 2 years. Much appreciated and I hope you're No. 1 in the next Giants of Backgammon list (Mochy excluded 😁)
How about a video in explaining the Performance Rating used in the UBC. Don't under stand why Ali lost to Kazuki, when he won all 3 matches and Kazuki had the lower PR for all 3 games, which gave lowest PR average and advanced.
UBS is 1 point for winning match and 1 point for having better of the 2 PRs (less errors made). If there is a tie then they use better of the two AVERAGE PRs for the entire match but they need to do some special calcs as AVG PR depends on how many moves there were not just the straight average I believe so there is some complex math. maybe if they provided an excel spreadsheet example with the calculations included in the spreadsheet that would help
I've had these positions many times, at least I know what they're called finally. When you have a back position is it axiomatic that the deepest anchor is the last to exit? Another great video, thank you!🙂
Most of the time yes as you want to keep as much contact as possible if you're behind in the race. But there can be some edge cases where it makes more sense to leave the front anchor.
Thank you very much for this video. It is very pleasant to follow and very clear. As a beginner, I have learnt a lot! By the way, the backgammon set shown in the video is really beautiful. May I ask you what company made it? Which brand is it? Thank you so much.
Mark I’ve just picked up your book Pure Strategy and I would like to speak to you about editing some of the grammar in it to make an easier and more fluid for English readers. Please reach out, I’d love to help you if I can.
Marc, just a comment and a question...comment, You are a great player but your main interest is to teach everybody and thus, you are a great thing that happened to backgammon...Thank you. Question...I would like to ask you a few things in private, is there an email I can write you to?
I'm disappointed in Backgammon Galaxy. I'm rated in the 1600s, with a highest ever rating of 1785. In the last few days I've played and won 7-point matches with five different players, one of whom was a Grand Master (2100+), one master (1900+), one 1800+, and two 1700+. My rating did not change after any of these match wins. What the h*ll is going on? Do I have to become a paying player to get the rating points I have earned?
Thirty years ago, the 'authoritative' backgammon books were saying that the 1-3 backgame was superior to the 1-2 backgame. What is your opinion and why, Marc (and others)? Andrew from Melbourne
Well it depends on the timing. The 1-2 backgame is the deepest of all the backgames and requires more timing than the 1-3 backgame. The timing sweetspot for a 1-2 backgame is something like +120 pips, and if you are less than 95 pips down it's usually a drop. The 1-3 backgame you can take the cube even if you are only down 75 pips, and the timing sweet spot is around +100 pips. Therefore the 1-3 backgame is more robust and easier to get in to. All else being equal, the 1-3 backgame is probably the best of all the deep and mid-range backgames, but it really depends on the timing and on the structure and flexibility of the offensive player.
I'd love some info on how to play these. But thanks for the video, it was still helpful!
Watch Mochy's masterclass here on youtube, it's all about 'backgame' tactics.
czcams.com/video/4ziZKHYFgKQ/video.html
I'm a simple man, I see a Marc Olsen video and I smash that like button.
Haha, thanks Robert! Appreciated! :)
Me too. So chic.
Those green checkers look so good!
Thank you :) They're definitely also some of our favorite checkers!
Got into backgammon recently and loving the Backgammon Basics playlist, very helpful and interesting for a new player. Do you have a video explaining your moves during a full game as you make them? Would be very interested in this! Thanks for all the content
good stuff Marc keep em coming
Another great video. Thanks 😊
Great info, thanks! One of these days I hope you end the video by jumping in the pool!
We have one video from the pool, but I self censored it, since I was showing too much skin. :)
The key to the back game is timing. I try and get at least 5 6 checkers in the opponents home, sometimes you can end up with over half your checkers there. Have a strong mid board and go nice and slow. Risky game but always fun ;-)
I have read that you should try to be about 100 pips behind for timing a successful back game. But, I’m no pro, so take that with a grain of salt.
I believe 80-100 pips behind is usually sufficient to have good timing, depending on where in opponent's home board your anchors actually are.
@@macleadg It really depends what kind of backgame you are playing. The deeper the backgame is, the more pips you need to be down in order to have good timing. At least 100 pips in the 1-2 backgame, but maybe just 40 pips in a 2-5 backgame.
@@Marcolino10DK Wow! An authoritative answer from a major player! Thanks, Marc!
Thanks for this! I've been experimenting with chess, but Backgammon is new to me!
Glad to have you onboard :-)
It is indeed quite the challenge, to have a six prime at the very moment you're hitting from a well-timed 1/2 back game...
Other than this - I loved the presentation!
That is right Itzhak! Especially the 1-2 backgame is very difficult to achieve good timing with. It's so fragile to crunching. However, if you do manage to hit that timing sweet spot, the 1-2 backgame might be the strongest of them all on average.
@@Marcolino10DK I'm generally happy when I can have 5.5-prime when I hit, as a six-prime would require more checkers than I normally have in the box...
Even a 4-prime will usually suffice, you really just want to avoid to be crunched, when you finally get your chance to hit a turn-around shot!
Hi Marc, great video as always!
When will the UBC final Mochy Vs Dirk take place?
Thanks Doron! We are trying to figure it out as we speak!
Such a beautiful board
Thanks Reece! The Earth Board has already become a classic!
Not drunk enough to understand this. But cool colored checkers!
I don’t know if I want to learn about my back game or lie in one of your couches with a mojito.
Hahaha!!
Good man Marc. Keep the videos, content, livestreams and website development going. You've single-handedly kept backgammon going over the past 2 years. Much appreciated and I hope you're No. 1 in the next Giants of Backgammon list (Mochy excluded 😁)
Thanks Padhraic!!! :) We do our best!
How about a video in explaining the Performance Rating used in the UBC. Don't under stand why Ali lost to Kazuki, when he won all 3 matches and Kazuki had the lower PR for all 3 games, which gave lowest PR average and advanced.
UBS is 1 point for winning match and 1 point for having better of the 2 PRs (less errors made). If there is a tie then they use better of the two AVERAGE PRs for the entire match but they need to do some special calcs as AVG PR depends on how many moves there were not just the straight average I believe so there is some complex math. maybe if they provided an excel spreadsheet example with the calculations included in the spreadsheet that would help
Importantly, a lower PR is better - the pr proportional with error rate
The average PR is the deciding factor if the point score is a draw.
I've had these positions many times, at least I know what they're called finally. When you have a back position is it axiomatic that the deepest anchor is the last to exit? Another great video, thank you!🙂
Most of the time yes as you want to keep as much contact as possible if you're behind in the race. But there can be some edge cases where it makes more sense to leave the front anchor.
Hi Marc. Is this the adventure board you’re playing on?
Yes :-) Not the newest one though.
Thank you very much for this video. It is very pleasant to follow and very clear. As a beginner, I have learnt a lot!
By the way, the backgammon set shown in the video is really beautiful. May I ask you what company made it? Which brand is it? Thank you so much.
Mark I’ve just picked up your book Pure Strategy and I would like to speak to you about editing some of the grammar in it to make an easier and more fluid for English readers. Please reach out, I’d love to help you if I can.
Marc* (autocorrect doesn’t pick up on everything you see ;) )
Más de la mitad del mundo hablamos español, espero algún día lo hagan bilingüe para poder entender, gracias.
Hablo espanhol como un gringo... No sería bonita si voy a hacer un video en espanhol.
si quieres, podría escribir unos subtítulos la próxima vez
Buena idea
what's up Marc Olsen, this is backgammon nerd
Loooool.
👍🎲🎲😎❤️
Marc, just a comment and a question...comment, You are a great player but your main interest is to teach everybody and thus, you are a great thing that happened to backgammon...Thank you. Question...I would like to ask you a few things in private, is there an email I can write you to?
marc@backgammongalaxy.com
I'm disappointed in Backgammon Galaxy. I'm rated in the 1600s, with a highest ever rating of 1785. In the last few days I've played and won 7-point matches with five different players, one of whom was a Grand Master (2100+), one master (1900+), one 1800+, and two 1700+. My rating did not change after any of these match wins. What the h*ll is going on? Do I have to become a paying player to get the rating points I have earned?
Thirty years ago, the 'authoritative' backgammon books were saying that the 1-3 backgame was superior to the 1-2 backgame. What is your opinion and why, Marc (and others)?
Andrew from Melbourne
Well it depends on the timing. The 1-2 backgame is the deepest of all the backgames and requires more timing than the 1-3 backgame. The timing sweetspot for a 1-2 backgame is something like +120 pips, and if you are less than 95 pips down it's usually a drop. The 1-3 backgame you can take the cube even if you are only down 75 pips, and the timing sweet spot is around +100 pips. Therefore the 1-3 backgame is more robust and easier to get in to.
All else being equal, the 1-3 backgame is probably the best of all the deep and mid-range backgames, but it really depends on the timing and on the structure and flexibility of the offensive player.
You are SO DAMN CUTE.