Later the correct opening moves are discussed, the doubling cube is introduced, youll study the different phases of the game and will get to know how a chouette works. He is ranked in the top five in the united kingdom and regularly competes in the world championships. Dynamic cube strategy horowitz and roman 1980 out of print but largely garbage the doubling cube in backgammon vol 1 jeff ward 1982 out of print but an excellent book if you find one on ebay, buy it especially considering when it was written backgammon. Grand duke dmitri is mentioned as the inventor of the doubling cube. Players have found that by combining the skill of moving the counters around the board known as checker play with the art and it is an art of using the doubling cube, a player can become seriously hard to beat. Master versus amateur, volume 1 kit woolsey 2000 37. Its a key part of the game and is used whenever good backgammon players play, whatever theyre playing for. It has the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 printed on its faces. Here comes the most downloaded backgammon app for the windows store play online games against players all over the world, play against the offline ai to improve your skills. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Winning with the doubling cube, an 4108 this is the first book from the gammon press devoted entirely to the proper use of the doubling cube. A beginners guide to learning the game, rules, board, pieces, and strategy to.
Who invented the backgammon doubling cube gallery ideas. Online games the backgammon quest you can play online games against backgammon players all over the. Apr 28, 1974 in fact, the doubling cube in gambling backgammon becomes the focus of much of the games psychology and skill. In the backgammon book written in 1970, authors oswald jacoby and. In this book, peter bell explains the secrets behind the doubling strategy of the. Widest range of backgammon doubling cubes backgammon cube doublers at. Georges mabardi, author of vanity fairs backgammon to win 1930 had this view of doubling.
In the beginning of the game the cube is placed either on the side or on the bar of the board with the number 64 face up indicating. Whether youre using the cube for gambling or to add an extra layer of excitement, it should be just as luxurious as your board. Learn how to play backgammon with backgammon for losers, the beginners backgammon book, written by simon hill. The doubling cube was believed to be introduced in new york in the 1920s by some unknown gambler which enhanced the element of skill in the game. The stakes are raised by gammons, backgammons, and use of the doubling cube. The shina book is a waste of money because the book has no explanations whatever just a collection of positions and rollout results. Backgammon mcgill university school of computer science. Backgammon history, where to buy and information on that ancestors of backgammon. Not the book that is here winning with the doubling cube by peter bell is however going to make you into a.
Learn how to use the doubling cube in backgammon in this free howto video clip lesson on how to play backgammon, the board game. Backgammon doubling cube rules find out how to play. The backgammon guide carried out some research to find out which backgammon books are most frequently recommended by experienced players. The book also introduces basic concepts like priming and duplication, and even explains the jacoby rule and beavering in its brief treatment of the doubling cube. This one idea revolutionised backgammon and it enjoyed a surge in popularity upon which it is still riding. When the games popularity enjoyed an enormous resurgence again in the 1960s to late 1980s, modernday researchers of the games history including authors of books were never able to find a record, specifically the name of the player, who introduced the doubling cube to the game. Turn this option on or off in the menu at the start of the game. Each player begins the game with fifteen checkers of a different color from his opponent, a. Each player begins the game with fifteen checkers of a different color from his opponent, a pair of dice, a dice cup, and a doubling cube. The doubling cube only entered into backgammon play in the 1920s. Backgammon book 196 p winning with the doubling cube. Woolseys book is excellent but the proofs have been lost so it too is currently unavailable unless you can find one secondhand. Backgammon doubling advanced strategy backgammon doubling. It helped in enhancing the game from the gambling perspective.
In addition to his book backgammon for blood, bray also gives seminars on the game. Then in the 1920s, the invention of the doubling cube by an unknown player in new york city upped the stakes and sparked new interest and excitement to the game. The famous writer of games, edmond hoyle, published a treatise on backgammon in 1745 with a set of rules, and even some strategy tips, that still ring true today. The guy who invented the doubling cube backgammon forum. The cube should never be rolled, only ever placed or. Kits book is very good, as was volume 1 in that series now out of print, but it pops up on used book sites from time to time. The history of backgammon a backgammon book for beginners.
The amazing book of backgammon jon tremaine 1995 36. Doubling cube is a bit like a regular dice, but just a bit larger. The doubling cube is a fun option for players who are seasoned backgammon aficionados. The doubling cube made a big difference to backgammon. Backgammon s rules were codified by englands edmond hoyle in 1743 and remained virtually unchanged until 1925, when some unknown american invented the doubling cube. Your best bet might be peter bells winning with the doubling cube. At the end of the game, the loser pays the winner the value of the doubling cube in whatever units they have agreed to play for. The single biggest factor that increased the popularity of backgammon as we know it today was in the 1970s. Backgammon for losers a backgammon book for beginners. Almost overnight backgammon became perhaps the most popular and exciting gambling game there is, especially with the hustler that invented the doubling cube. The basic concept of the 25% takepoint was not explained in any book until crawford and jacoby published the backgammon book in 1970.
For example, if playing for one dollar a point and the doubling cube shows 4, then the loser pays the winner four dollars. In this book, peter bell explains the secrets behind the doubling strategy of the masters. How to use a backgammon doubling cube backgammon for. The other two are the doubling cube volume 1 by jeff ward, which stands the test of time but has long been out of print, and the backgammon encyclopedia volume 1 by kit woolsey. Winning with the doubling cube is the first book from the gammon press devoted entirely to the proper use of the doubling cube. The doubling cube is used to gamble, and for keeping track of the increase in stakes of the game and the player who next has the right to double.
Players the world over underestimate the importance of being able to use the doubling cube competently. The doubling cube is such a big part of backgammon that it is rather surprising more books havent been written on the subject. The backgammon quiz book prince joli kansil 1978 39. In the case of a gammon or backgammon, this amount is doubled or tripled. The famous book of games by alfonso x of spain has a whole sub book on the game of tables, showing how boards and pieces were made and giving rules for around 14 different games that could be played on a tables board. But it is not advisable to double more than once or twice as the value of the game rises enormously. While backgammon fell from popularity during the victorian age, it returned with a vengeance in america in the early part of the 20th century and this is when the doubling cube finally appeared. Though backgammon has been around for 2,000 years, the introduction of the doubling cube in the mid1920s in new york revolutionized the game and took it to the next level. With the addition of the doubling cube, the skill level needed also increased which did help some with its popularity. A backgammon set, consisting of a board, two sets of 15 checkers, two pairs of dice, a doubling cube, and dice cups years active approximately 5,000 years ago in the middle east to present. Players have long understood that mastery of the cube is the key difference between top pros and struggling amateurs. This backgammon site even remembers your preferences every time you come back so youll be set to play immediately. But vanderbilts innovation, simple as it is, would take a page or so to describe.
The gameplay on 247 backgammon is seamless and youll quickly become addicted to the beautiful artwork and perfect puzzle game. A person could dedicate his entire life studying the history of backgammon. Bruce becker, in his later 1974 book, backgammon for blood, carries on the tradition. Just as you must read your opponent as a running or blocking player, you must. The doubling cube is one of many reasons backgammon is so much fun to play. Hardys backgammon pages recommended backgammon reading. If two absolutely perfect players engaged in a match, there would never be an accepted double. History of backgammon chapter of the backgammon book printed in 1970. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Its history can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to archeological discoveries in mesopotamia it is a twoplayer game where each player has fifteen pieces checkers or men that move between twentyfour triangles points according to the roll of two dice. The first player to accumulate the required points wins the match. Thus, it is vital to understand cube decisions in order to be a winning backgammon player.
In the backgammon book written in 1970, authors oswald jacoby and john r. When backgammon is played for money, the most common arrangement is to assign a monetary value to each game, and to play to a certain score, or until either player chooses to stop. The material in this book covers not only the development of backgammon theory. Backgammon is one of the most misunderstood and underrated games, often. The most recent major development in backgammons historia was the addition of the doubling cube in the 1920 in new york city among members of gaming clubs in the lower east side. An irreverent but astonishingly accurate and witty history of backgammon.
When a player feels he has the advantage in a game, that player can choose to offer a double before rolling the diceeffectively doubling the value of the game. The material covers not only the development of backgammon theory but also looks at the history of the game such as the advent of the doubling cube and some of the more colourful players who have played the game. Top 40 backgammon books the super best backgammon guide. Backgammon is played for an agreed wager or for a number of points if in tournament play. Recommended backgammon reading hardys backgammon pages. The material covers not only the development of backgammon theory but also looks at the history of the game such as the advent of the doubling cube and some. Backgammon doubling adavanced strategy advanced strategy for backgammon doubling. Object of the game backgammon is a diceandboard game for two players. Twotime champion robertie gives easytounderstand advice on the basics of winning at backgammon. Modern backgammon can trace its roots back to the ancient egyptian game of senet and the mesopotamian game the royal game of ur. In the backgammon book written in 1970, authors oswald jacoby. Published february 1, 2020 deluxe backgammon is a small group of uk backgammon enthusiasts that meet and play weekly in london. He could then present the cube back, at side number 4, at the start of one of his turns to quadruple the eventual score, and so on.
Keep playing games, resetting the doubling cube and placing it back in the middle each game, until someone hits 7 total game points to determine the match winner. The 30s understanding of doubling backgammon galore. The backgammon has every feature to enjoy and improve your game. Options only on 247 backgammon include doubling cube, highlights, match points, and chip color. The history of backgammon is long, complicated, very incomplete and fascinating. The doubling cube is used, so the winner receives the value of the game multiplied by the final value of the doubling cube. Until recently history didnt record who invented the doublingcube, but it was. Here are the results the 40 best backgammon books 1. At any time during gameplay a player may before hisher turn propose the game be played for twice the current stake beginning at 2. Its aimed at beginners and explains all the basics in great detail. Backgammon tool that minimizes the luck factor, backgammon player weapons and defenses. All about gnu backgammon action name date signature written by albert silver and christian anthon july 23, 2018 revision history number date description name all about gnu backgammon march 2007 the gnu backgammon project all about gnu march 2007 albert silver and tom keith.
The optional use of a doubling cube allows players to raise the stakes during the game. This is when the doubling cube was first introduce. The doubling cube keeps track of the current stakes of the game. Yet like the new scoring system in bridge, the implications of this new feature were profound and subtle. Backgammon was popular in china for a time and was known as shuanglu, with the book pu shuang written during the. If they want to buy a backgammon book or a backgammon board, i might send them to the flint website. A beginners guide to the doubling cube voice of backgammon. Even at local clubs, beginners learn to use the cube from day one. During the course of the game, a player who feels they have sufficient advantage over the other player may propose doubling his stakes. No doubling cube an american invention in the 1920s.
The reason could be that it is a difficult to give solid criteria for when to double and when to takethis may be an area best learned from experience. Around the same time that the doubling cube was invented, harold vanderbilt had nearly as large an impact when he proposed a new form of. Entire books have been written about the doubling cube. In fact, the doubling cube in gambling backgammon becomes the focus of much of the games psychology and skill. Much has been written about the game over the years. Ten chapters show how to set up a board, how to move, opening strategies and replies, middle and endgame tactics, probabilities, plus back game and doubling strategy, and two sample games with movebymove insights. For the vast majority of people out there who arent already gaming aficionados, this is the gentlest, most inviting intro you could ask for. The backgammon doubling cube is used to keep track of the increasing stakes in backgammon. Later the correct opening moves are discussed, the doubling cube is. Backgammon doubling cube is the backgammon players tool. The doubling cube with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 on its faces serves to double the stakes. As you get more into advanced backgammon strategy, you will see the importance of the doubling cube. With a history going back more than 5,000 years, backgammon is the oldest.
The doubling cube is placed in the middle of the bar and is not controlled by either player. But there is one historical backgammon topic that remains for the most part, a mystery. The exact origins of the game remain unknown, though there is much conjecture, a good deal of it both ingenious and farfetched. Chris bray has played backgammon for more than thirty years. Once you learn how it is easy to use a backgammon doubling cube. Backgammon game was mostly limited to the upper class in private clubs although several introductory backgammon publications burst onto the. Hes the author of a gaming book and the former vp of the strategy gaming society. Since the introduction of doubling in the 1920s, backgammon history has been altered. Last but not least the book will tell you how to utilize backgammon software to study the game and tells you everything you need to know to play backgammon on the internet. Each backgammon game starts with a value of one point. The famous book of games by alfonso x of spain has a whole sub book on the game of tables, showing how boards and pieces were made and giving. He was the first ever backgammon columnist for a major newspaper. Sep 03, 2017 the other two are the doubling cube volume 1 by jeff ward, which stands the test of time but has long been out of print, and the backgammon encyclopedia volume 1 by kit woolsey.
Historical information about the doubling cube in backgammon when was it invented. It was an upperclass private club game until 1920 when the us contributed to the game with their newly invented doubling cube. The invention of the doubling cube was one of the most remarkable innovations in the history of games. A beginners guide to learning the game, rules, board, pieces, and strategy to win at backgammon bomberger, chad on.