Backgammon By Paul Magriel Pdf File
Linda Berens
Known as X-22 on the backgammon circuit,[1] Magriel arguably won more major backgammon tournaments than any other player in the world.[2] He was widely considered the world's premier backgammon teacher, an original and clear-thinking theorist and one of its best players.[3]
The sobriquet X-22 originates from Magriel's simulation of a real backgammon tournament (compare simultaneous exhibition in chess) with 64 boards, designated X-1 through X-64, in which the player designated "X-22" has eventually won.[4]
Magriel first came to prominence on the backgammon circuit when he won the World Backgammon Championship in 1978.[5] From 1977 to 1980, he wrote weekly backgammon columns for The New York Times.[3]
Magriel was featured in the commentary in the televised backgammon series, High Stakes Backgammon, produced from the 2005 World Backgammon Championships held in Monte Carlo. It was the pilot series that led to the World Series of Backgammon and showcased Magriel's oratory skills.
While playing poker, Magriel often shouted "Quack quack!"[7] while making a bet, usually to declare a bet which had a numerical value beginning in 22 (e.g.: 2200, 22000.) This is a reference to his nickname, X-22, since a pair of 2's are known in backgammon as "double ducks" and poker as ducks.
Paul David Magriel Jr. (July 1, 1946 - March 5, 2018), was a professional backgammon player, poker player, and author based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He passed away smiling in his sleep on March 5, 2018. He was loved and respected by millions. His 1976 book, Backgammon, was often referred to as the Bible of Backgammon. I knew him for 65 years. We were in grade school together.
Paul was also a great chess player. He won the New York State Junior Chess Championship at the age of 19. But when he saw a backgammon board, his interest in chess waned. "My father was an art dealer and collector, very visual, and when I saw the backgammon board I was struck by the geometry of it all, the simplicity," he once told me.
The book is out of print and hard to come by. Unfortunately, we had to return our review copy. It is definitely the backgammon book I would want in my home library. It is the sort of book that you could return to regularly to refresh your knowledge and sharpen your game. If you ever have the opportunity, please read this book. Deluxe Backgammon highly recommends Backgammon by Paul Magriel for all students of the game.
I have a copy of this book that I bought in the early 1980s, it totally changed backgammon for me. It improved my game considerably. Some of the new computerised roll outs have proven some of the moves are incorrect, but mostly the underlying strategy and tactics are consistent today. Well worth a read.
Hi Anna, Backgammon by Paul Magriel is considered one of the classic backgammon books. As you say, even after the introduction of backgammon software, it is still relevant today. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jason
Several other topics also merit more detailed explanations and illustrative examples, like the back game. Furthermore, considering that the book was written in the 1970s, well before the introduction of sophisticated backgammon software, some content might require updates and corrections, particularly concerning the opening moves and subsequent responses based on insights gained from computer analysis.
Being a lover of hardcover books, I recently had occasion to purchase a first edition of Magriel's "Backgammon." Imagine my surprise when I opened the cover and found this. Who is Bob Strauss, you ask? He took over the Democratic National Committee in the early 70s. Apparently, he played backgammon.
Position 5.
2. X moves one checker down from the thirteen point to the ten point, and moves a second checker down from the thirteen point to the eight point (Position 6).
Position 6.
3. X moves one checker from the eight point to the three point, and moves another checker from the six point to the three point (Position 7).
Position 7.
Throwing Doubles
Whenever doubles (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6) are thrown, a player moves twicethe number shown on the face of the dice. A throw of 5-5, for example, means that the player has four 5's to move. These moves may be made in any of the following combinations:
- Move one checker four 5's. Move on checker three 5's and another checker one 5. Move two checkers two 5's each. Move one checker two 5's and two other checkers one 5 each. Move four checkers one 5 each.
Where Checkers May Land
A checker may land on any vacant point. It may also land on any point occupied by a player's own checkers (there is no limit to the number of any one player's checkers that may occupy a single point); or on any point occupied by only one of his opponent's checkers. All the points on which a checker may land are called open points.
A checker may not land on a point that is occupied by two or more opposing checkers. You may not even stop at such a point "in passing" when moving a single checker (remember that the two numbers on the dice are considered separate moves). You can, however, pass over the points occupied by your opponent.
For example, if X rolls 3-5 when the nineteen and twenty-one points are each occupied by two or more of O's checkers, X cannot move either of his back checkers from the twenty-four point, even though the sixteen point is empty (Position 8).
Position 8.
If, in Position 8, X were to roll 6-3, he could play his 6 first and then his 3, passing over the blocked twenty-one and nineteen points to land on the empty fifteen point.
A player is not permitted to pass his turn. Both numbers on the dice must be played, if legally possible. Since the entire roll is considered an entity, it is not legal to play one number in such a way as to make the other number impossible to play. If only one number can be played, than the higher number must be played, if possible. Numbers than cannot be played are forfeited.
Hitting and Re-entering
Two or more checkers of the same color on a point are said to own that point. A lone checker is called a blot. Should a player's checker land on an opponent's blot, that blot has then been hit and is placed on the bar, where it is temporarily out of play. (Note that players are not obliged to hit a blot every time they are presented with the opportunity to do so.)
If a player has one or more checkers on the bar, he cannot move any other checker until all of his checkers on the bar have been re-entered. A checker on the bar must re-enter the game in the opposing player's home board. This can be done only when the player rolls a number corresponding to an open point in his opponent's home board.
Position 8a. Where X lands from the bar
Position 8b. Where O lands from the bar
If X rolls a 1 on either die, he may land on the first point (the twenty-four point) in O's home board if that point does not contain two or more of O's checkers.
Similarly, if X rolls a 2 he may land on the twenty-three point; a 3, the twenty-two point; 4, twenty-one point; 5, twenty point; 6, nineteen point.
If O has a checker on the bar, a 1 on a die corresponds to the one point in X's inner board. Similarly, if O rolls a 2 he can land on the two point; 3, three point; 4, four point; 5, five point; 6, six point.
The specific number needed to re-enter must come up on at least one die. The sum of the two dice is not used to re-enter.
Position 8c. O Rolls 2-1
For example, in Position 8C the one, two, and six points are owned by X. O is on the bar. If O rolls 2-1 he cannot land on the open three point; he must roll a specific 3 on one die to land on that point.
Points occupied by two or more opposing checkers are called closed points, and the opponent's checkers cannot land on them. If both numbers on a player's dice correspond to closed points, the player cannot re-enter his checker on that roll. He must wait and try again on his next turn. In the meantime, since he cannot move any of his other checkers either, his opponent continues to move.
In Position 9, O has closed the nineteen, twenty, and twenty-three points. X has one checker on the bar. If X rolls 5-3, he must, before doing anything else, use the 3 to bring his checker on the bar back into play in his opponent's home board. The 5 cannot be used to re-enter because the fifth point in O's inner board, the twenty point, is closed. X must re-enter on the twenty-two point, the third point in O's inner board. After X has re-entered his checker, he must play any legal 5.
Position 9. X rolls 5-3 - 3 must enter on 22
If X rolls 5-2 in Position 9, he would have to give up is turn. Neither the 5 nor the 2 re-enter because both the fifth point (the twenty point) and the second point (the twenty-three point) are closed in O's inner board. The checker on the bar cannot move directly to the eighteen point because the sum of the dice may not be used.
Position 10.
O has all his home-board points closed and X has a checker on the bar in Position 10. X must wait until one of O's home-board points is opened before he can re-enter his checker from the bar and then continue moving his other checkers.
When you or your opponent closes all six home-board points, this is known as a closed board. In Position 10, O would continue to roll until he opened one of his home-board points. Then it would be X's turn to roll.
Bearing Off
Once you have brought all your checkers into your home-board, you can begin to remove them. This is called bearing off. A checker that has been borne off the board is not re-entered for the rest of the game. If a checker is hit by your opponent during the bearing-off process, no more checkers can be borne off until that checker has re-entered your opponent's inner board and has been brought back to your inner board. The first player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.
Procedure in Bearing Off: In bearing off, you are, in effect, bringing your checkers just past the first point in your home board.
Position 11. X Rolls 6-4
If X rolls 6-4 in Position 11, where he has two or more checkers covering each point in his home board, the 6 must be used to bear one checker off the board from the six point. The 4 may be used to bear off a checker from the four point (as seen in Position 11A).
Position 11a.
The 4 in 6-4 also may be used to advance a checker from the six point to the two point (Position 11B),
Position 11b.
or to advance a checker from the five point to the one point (Position11C).
Position 11c.
A 2-1 could be used to bear two checkers off; one from the one point and one from the two point; or to bear one checker off the three point by first moving it to the one or two point and then using the remaining number to bear it off.
If a player rolls a number higher than any point on which a checker rests, the checker on the next highest point is taken off instead.
Position 12.
In Position 12, X has two checkers on the five point and two checkers on the three point. If he rolls 6-4, the 6 must be played by bearing off one checker from the five point. X cannot now use a 4 to bear off a checker off the three point because he still has a checker on the five point and the full number must be used whenever possible. Therefore, the 4 must be used to move a checker from the five point to the one point.
Similarly, when O is bearing off checkers, a 6 on the dice can be used to bear a man off the nineteen point; a 5 off the twenty point; a 4 off the twenty-one point; a three off the twenty-two point; a 2 off the twenty-three point; a 1 off the twenty-four point.
Scoring
The game begins with a value of one point, or unit. This is won by the first player to bear off all his checkers. The doubling cube, with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used for keeping track of the increase in units or points, for which the game is being played.
At the beginning of the game, the doubling cube is placed halfway between the two players with 64 facing up. This indicates that the game is being played for one point. If one player feels he has gained an advantage in the course of play, he may double the stakes by turning the cube to 2 and offering it to his opponent. This is done before he rolls the dice for his turn. Note that when a player is closed out, he does not forfeit his right to double.
His opponent then has a choice: He can refuse the double (or pass), thus conceding the game and losing one point; or he can accept the double (take), take possession of the doubling cube, and continue playing the game for two points. A player who accepts a double owns the cube and is then the only person in a position to re-double the stakes.
The game can be doubled and re-doubled any number of times subject to the following conditions:
1. Initially, the cube is in the middle and either player may double. Subsequently, only the player who owns the cube may re-double. The same player cannot double twice consecutively.
2. A player can only double prior to his roll. If the double is accepted by his opponent, the player then proceeds to roll the dice and take his move.
Gammons, Backgammons, and Variations
The player who wins the game scores the number of points indicated on the doubling cube, unless there is a gammon or backgammon. A gammon (or double game) occurs when the winner bears off all of his checkers before his opponent bears off any checkers at all. In this case, the winner receives double the amount on the doubling cube.
A backgammon occurs when the winner bears off all of his checkers before his opponent bears off any, and while his opponent has one or more checkers in the winner's home board. In this event, the winner receives triple the points shown on the doubling cube. (Outside the United States, a backgammon is only scored as a double game.)
Here are two variations that players may adopt by agreement prior to beginning play:
1. Automatic Doubles: If each player rolls the same number on the first roll of the game, the doubling cube remains in the middle, but is turned to 2. Players usually agree to limit the number of automatic doubles to one per game. The players then throw the dice again to see who goes first.
2. The Jacoby Rule: If neither player has doubled during the course of a game, gammons and backgammons do not count. They are scored as single games.
Chouette
Chouettes provide an opportunity for three or more people to play in the same backgammon game. To begin a chouette, each person rolls one die. The individual with the highest number becomes the man in the box and plays against the remaining people, who act as a team.
The second-highest roller becomes the team captain. He actually moves the checkers against the man in the box while his teammates advise. Should disagreements arise among the team players, the captain's decisions are final. The first throw of the dice also establishes the order in which each team member assumes the position of captain in subsequent games.
If the team loses the first game, the captain is replaced by the next player, and becomes last in the team's order of rotation. The man in the box remains in the box. If the team wins, the captain becomes the man in the box, the next team member assumes the captain's position, and the former man in the box becomes the last in the team's order.
The team acts in concert when doubling the player in the box. Should the box double, however, each individual team member has the option of accepting or declining. Those declining each lose to the player in the box and drop out of that particular game.
Those accepting the cube continue to play as a team for the increased number of points. If they win, they each gain the number of points indicated on the doubling cube from the player in the box. If they lose, they each give up the number on the cube to the man in the box.
Procedure and Courtesy of Play
1. A player must roll his dice in the board to his right.
2. A roll is invalid and must be re-rolled if a die lands out of the right-hand board, if it lands cocked, or if it lands on a checker.
3. A player's move is not final until he has picked up his dice.
4. A player may not roll his dice until his opponent has completed his move and picked up his dice. This rule, however, is not strictly adhered to in bear-off situations where no further contact is possible, or when a player's move is forced.
5. Illegal moves may be corrected by either player, but the correction must be made before the next player rolls. Any errors not corrected in time remain as played.
Copyright 1976 by Paul Magriel and Renée Magriel Roberts, Ph.D
Board Images copyright by Dean Kezan, 2000.
In the Backgammon newsgroup in August of 1997, Backgammon guru David Montgomery mentioned Magriel's book:
"By far the best introductory backgammon book is Magriel's Backgammon. When I first read Magriel, about 15 years ago, I was very weak, and it transformed my game. I always recommend reading Magriel to anyone trying to improve. For players who don't understand the fundamentals of the game, studying this book and trying to apply its concepts over the board invariably leads to tremendous improvement."
function hidetestimonials() var divs = document.getElementsByTagName("div"); for(i=0; i < divs.length; i++) var elClass = divs[i].className; if(elClass == 'sidebar-right small-border-radius hideable')if (divs[i].style.display == 'none') divs[i].style.display = '';else divs[i].style.display = 'none'; TestimonialsJust to let all of you know that my shipment arrived in great condition, looks great on my backgammon table, and your customer support was excellent. Thanks a million. aa06259810