Jon Tremaine's Amazing Book of Backgammon
Jim Wallace
I recently came across a copy of the Amazing Book of Backgammon by Jon
Tremaine.
(ISBN 1-85501-768-7 1995 CLB Publishing)
Can anyone tell me anything about Jon Tremaine. Moreover, does he have any
credentials as a backgammon expert.
The book is attractive.. glossy paper, full colour photos of all positions
etc. but the advice is awful. There are also some diagram mix-ups.
Here's one example p.47
(presumably money play - cube is centered. The position is one used to
illustrate a complete game for beginners)
+24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+18-17-16-15-14-13-+
| O O O O O | X | O |
| O O O O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |64
| | | |
| | | |
X | | | |
X | X X | | |
X | X X X X | | |
X | X X X X O | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+-7--8--9-10-11-12-+
X is on the bar.
X to play 6-3
Incredibly he recommends bar-19, 19-16 rather than Bar-22, 22-16 hitting O's
checker. The rationale... "Black's (X)men already form two obstacles in her
path (the men at R6 and R12). Why give herself a third obstacle by hitting
the blot?"
He advocates leaving a 17 shot rather than the hit which gives O only 4
shots from the bar and gives X a good shot at the gammon.
There are other examples just as bad.
Has there previously been any review of the book. If not, I may volunteer to
do one.
--
Jim Wallace
Calgary, Alberta Canada
end
Chuck Bower
In article <34dbf...@news.cadvision.com>,
Jim Wallace <wall...@cadvision.com> wrote:
>I recently came across a copy of the Amazing Book of Backgammon by Jon
>Tremaine.
>(ISBN 1-85501-768-7 1995 CLB Publishing)
>Here's one example p.47
>
>(presumably money play - cube is centered. The position is one used to
>illustrate a complete game for beginners)
>
>
> +24-23-22-21-20-19-+---+18-17-16-15-14-13-+
> | O O O O O | X | O |
> | O O O O | | |
> | O | | |
> | O | | |
> | O | | |
> | O | | |64
> | | | |
> | | | |
> X | | | |
> X | X X | | |
> X | X X X X | | |
> X | X X X X O | | |
> +-1--2--3--4--5--6-+---+-7--8--9-10-11-12-+
>
>X is on the bar.
>
>X to play 6-3
>
>Incredibly he recommends bar-19, 19-16 rather than Bar-22, 22-16 hitting O's
>checker. The rationale... "Black's (X)men already form two obstacles in her
>path (the men at R6 and R12). Why give herself a third obstacle by hitting
>the blot?"
(snip)
Maybe we should hold a contest: find positions from SERIOUS writings
which make the worst recommendations! JF level-7 evaluation says Tremaine's
play is worse than yours by 0.6 cubeless equity!!
Chuck
bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
c_ray on FIBS
Stephen Turner
Is this the book with all the great ways to cheat at the back? Surely it's
worth the money for those alone???
If you write a review, I'll be happy to put it on the WWW pages.
--
Stephen Turner sr...@cam.ac.uk http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~sret1/
Statistical Laboratory, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1SB, England
"The Bishop of Huntingdon and Postman Pat each opened new school extensions"
(Cambridge Weekly News, 28-May-97)
Jim Wallace
Stephen Turner wrote in message <34DEDAC8...@cam.ac.uk>...
>Is this the book with all the great ways to cheat at the back? Surely it's
>worth the money for those alone???
Yes this is one and the same.
Interestingly Mr.Tremaine does not advocate the methods in his chapter
titled "Coming of Age" but claims that being forewarned is forearmed. he
does have a peculiar philosophy about the game though...... . He states " To
kick your opponent when he is down is the general rule and to smile while
you are doing is quite normal. The art of gamesmanship prevails at all
levels. Gamesmanship is the utilization of every crafty dodge you can think
of to unsettle your opponent, force him to lose his concentration and
generally psyche him out of the game".
At least the chapter is fun reading. It makes you wonder if HE actually
plays this way and if he does, why would anybody continue to play with him.
Certainly sounds like the formula for most insufferable jerk in the
chouette.
I dare say that the book makes a good addition to my BG hardcover library,
although not for its educational value.
Bill Taylor
"Jim Wallace" <wall...@cadvision.com> writes:
|> At least the chapter is fun reading. It makes you wonder if HE actually
|> plays this way and if he does, why would anybody continue to play with him.
As I haven't seen and can't find this book, could someone please post a brief
account of some of his better "gems" here please?
No doubt many others would like to see too.
(Remember copyright allows 10% of any chapter, "for review purposes".)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Taylor W.Ta...@math.canterbury.ac.nz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its not the winning, its the taking apart.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lee
In article <6bj8h1$dlc$1...@jetsam.uits.indiana.edu>, Chuck Bower
<bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu> writes
Lee
--
----------------------------------------------
l...@infoplus.demon.co.uk
Web site: http://www.ibmpcug.co.uk/~oak/info/
Email for links to/from this site
----------------------------------------------
ptane...@hotmail.com
In article <6bj8h1$dlc$1...@jetsam.uits.indiana.edu>,
bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu (Chuck Bower) wrote:
...
> Maybe we should hold a contest: find positions from SERIOUS writings
> which make the worst recommendations! JF level-7 evaluation says Tremaine's
> play is worse than yours by 0.6 cubeless equity!!
>
> Chuck
> bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
Mr. Bower throws down the gauntlet, and the challenge is accepted.
Without further ado, herewith my nominee:
"Some self-appointed 'new authorities' have evolved a strange hybrid which
they call 'modern' Backgammon. There is no such thing - unless 'modern'
Backgammon is another name for bad Backgammon... The cause of the present
confusion is... the development of two minor conventions - The Double, and
Chouette. The former, however, is merely a new way of scoring... neither
development in any way affects the fundamental principles of the game."
"... there is no gainsaying that the Double [doubling cube] does add
excitement, and a certain gambling color. If you want to gamble, by all
means play the Double; if you are more interested in the strategy of the game,
omit it.
"... There is a good deal of skill involved - unbeknown to many of its
admirers - in manipulating the Double...
"... if two perfect players engaged in a match, there would never be an
accepted double... a correct double is made only when definitely ahead, and a
correct acceptance... only when the accepter knows he is not definitely
behind.
"Consequently, if every double were perfect, none would be accepted... We
must conclude that accepted doubles can only be the result of imperfect
play...
"The author's chief objection to the double is... its only reason d'etre
is the incompetent play of those who use it. For there can be no final
difference of opinion on the value of position... two expert players will
never disagree.
"Perhaps the most important thing to remember about the Double is that
the the less it is used the better."
--- "Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win", Georges Mabardi & Clare Luce,
c1930,1958,1974; Simon and Schuster.
One wonders how the authors fared playing propositions.
The envelope, please...
Paul Tanenbaum
P.S. This book also has a delightful chapter regarding etiquette, which pays
the price of admission. There, vividly and hilariously, the authors portray
the various characters who populate the board's environs. Backgammon theory
may have evolved during the last 60 years, but human nature evidently has not.
Excerpts:
"Even worse than the chortler and the grouser, is the coaxer, that
pathetic and heart-breaking wooer of Fate, who announces to his dice box
before every throw what sweet sights he would like to see issue from it...
holding the box between his two hands in a supplicating and prayerful fashion:
'Double-sixes, oh for a pair of double-sixes!'
"The year 1930 was a memorable one... it saw a crash in the stock market,
the sprightly advent of Tom Thumb Golf, and the sudden vogue for the
ancient... game of Backgammon... Some might find in... this latter fad a
combination of the others... a re-enactment of the market crash, with its...
dizzy turns of fortune. In addition to this heady wine of chance it offers
the same mental hazards and imaginative possibilities as Miniature Golf."
They just don't write 'em like that nowadays, more's the pity.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Chuck Bower
(snip)
> They just don't write 'em like that nowadays, more's the pity.
True. BUT, r.g.bg readers, you're in luck! A few days ago there was
a post from a New York area book dealer and I requested more info. Lo and
behold, here was one of their offerings:
From: pawp...@cybernex.net (Perry Alan Werner)
Subject: Re: FS: Rare and Unusal Backgammon Books
Status: RO
We offer the following. Please E mail (pawp...@cybernex.net) or call
(201/967-7306) or fax us (201/967-7643) if interested in purchasing. Please
add $5.00 postage for 1st book and $1.50 for each additional volume in The
United States. Please inquire for postage rates for overseas and express
mail shipping. Payment is acceptable by Cash, Check, Money Order or Credit
Card (Visa, Mastercard and Discover). If we can be of further help, please
do not hesitiate to contact us at anytime.
Thank You,
Perry Werner
Pawprint Books
Mabradi & Boothe Luce, Georges & Clare
"Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win"
New York: Simon & Schuster. 1974. First edition thus. 12mo. Decorated
cloth. Top edge is lightly soiled else near fine in faintly rubbed fine
dustjacket. The reprint edition of the original 1930
edition...............$75.00
Amazing that a 1974 reprint is worth $75! And I happen to have this
exact issue, for which I paid all of about $1. Good news, r.g.bg readers.
I'll make a sacrifice and sell my copy for HALF PRICE ($37.50). Just think
of all the tidbits awaiting the motivated reader. Paul gave you only an
appetizer! And my copy isn't even 'soiled'!!!!
Daniel Murphy
On 20 Feb 1998 00:41:43 GMT, bo...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu (Chuck
Bower) wrote:
>In article <6cglor$c5q$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, <ptane...@hotmail.com> quoted:
>
>> "... if two perfect players engaged in a match, there would never be an
>>accepted double... a correct double is made only when definitely ahead, and a
>>correct acceptance... only when the accepter knows he is not definitely
>>behind.
>> "Consequently, if every double were perfect, none would be accepted... We
>>must conclude that accepted doubles can only be the result of imperfect
>>play...
... and other brass nuggets from a 1930s defender of Greek-style (or,
in this case, Egyptian) backgammon against the newfangled "modern
players" and their doubling cube.
>> --- "Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win", Georges Mabardi & Clare Luce,
>> c1930,1958,1974; Simon and Schuster.
> True. BUT, r.g.bg readers, you're in luck! A few days ago there was
>a post from a New York area book dealer and I requested more info. Lo and
>behold, here was one of their offerings:
>
>From: pawp...@cybernex.net (Perry Alan Werner)
>Subject: Re: FS: Rare and Unusal Backgammon Books
>Status: RO
>
>Mabradi & Boothe Luce, Georges & Clare
>"Vanity Fair's Backgammon to Win"
>New York: Simon & Schuster. 1974. First edition thus. 12mo. Decorated
>cloth. Top edge is lightly soiled else near fine in faintly rubbed fine
>dustjacket. The reprint edition of the original 1930
>edition...............$75.00
>
> Amazing that a 1974 reprint is worth $75! And I happen to have this
>exact issue, for which I paid all of about $1. Good news, r.g.bg readers.
>I'll make a sacrifice and sell my copy for HALF PRICE ($37.50). Just think
>of all the tidbits awaiting the motivated reader. Paul gave you only an
>appetizer! And my copy isn't even 'soiled'!!!!
Neither is my copy, for which I paid about four dollars two weeks ago
at the Secondhand English Bookstore in Aarhus, Denmark.
But there was *something* good in this book, so here -- save yourself
$37.50 (sorry, Chuck [smiley goes here]):
"The perfect Backgammoner? Why, every day on the terrasse of the Cafe
Bellevue, overlooking the blue Mediterranean -- in Alexandria, my home
-- I have seen hundreds of perfect Backgammoners, playing all day
long. From the cradle to the grave Egyptians play Backgammon, the game
of the great Pharaohs. They play well, they play rapidly, they play
quietly; they smile and talk a little and they never complain of their
luck. They smoke their narguiles and drink their cafe turc. They
believe that 'luck' is the just, the inevitable, reward of the
skillful."
_______________________________________________
Daniel Murphy http://www.cityraccoon.com